What's it like to be a solo software developer?

Join me as we try to uncover the dark truth about software developers who work alone.

The purpose of this article is to raise awareness about taking the path of solo development as well as guide those who wish to take the very high risk associated with it.

Let's delve right into it.

## 1. There's zero money you will earn in the early years.

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You may have read or watched videos about software developers who have gained success and earned millions of dollars.

But let me tell you this: they didn't achieve that kind of success early in their career.

Almost everyone who takes the solo developer's path didn't earn a lot of money in the early years of their career.

So why the hell would anyone even do this kind of thing when there's no money in it?

It's their sheer dedication and the freedom that comes with it that motivate them to achieve the feat.

## 2. Success is not guaranteed

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Many have taken the solo software developer's path, but only a few have achieved success.

It may seem unmotivating, but it's the truth.

After learning hours and hours how to code and spending money on online tutorials so you can build your dream project, at the end of it, it's not guaranteed success.

If you're lucky, you could earn a few dollars from selling your app or through ads, but still, it doesn't compensate for the overall cost, time, and effort you spent doing the whole project.

That is why developing an application alone is a very high risk and should be considered thoroughly before undergoing it.

## 3. There's no standard path to follow; you are on your own.

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No one will teach you how to become a solo software developer. It's entirely up to you to figure out how to become one.

Following the path of other successful developers might not work for you.

*Why?*

Because their circumstances, family income, educational background, the country they live in, and many other factors may not be the same as yours.

Therefore, what works for them might not work for you.


## 4. You feel unmotivated, confused and doubtful throughout your journey as a solo developer.

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There's a moment when you're in the midst of developing a project, especially when you encounter a particular problem, and you suddenly think, "Did I choose the right path?"

At times, you experience doubt and a lack of motivation in regards to the project you are building. You contemplate whether to stop being a solo developer and instead apply for a stable job at a company somewhere.

## 5. You will go through lots of failures.

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Failure is a normal thing when developing software independently. Most of the time, you will encounter lots of bugs and problems you think you can't solve.

Or sometimes, you successfully build a certain project and deploy it to some users, but unfortunately, you don't get any monetary reward for what you did, as you'd expected.

Before you achieve the success you have been wanting and dreaming of for the past few years, you will go through lots of constant and countless failures.

*So, considering all these uncovered dark truths, is it truly worth pursuing a path as a solo developer?*

## Wrapping up

The dark truths described above are the actual realities happening to solo developers.

Those who overcame these odds are the ones who have achieved success.

It's not meant to demotivate you to stop pursuing the path of a solo developer, but to carefully consider the odds against you before you take the risk.

However, if you think and feel that you can do this despite all the dark truths presented above, then I wish you good luck and success on your journey. Cheers!

<div style="width:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:100%;position:relative;"><iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/l3BwSPbqx3QGKEgpp2" width="100%" height="100%" style="position:absolute" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/SkyTV-good-luck-fingers-crossed-best-of-l3BwSPbqx3QGKEgpp2">via GIPHY</a></p>