*"What is a solo developer?"*

This is a question you probably asked yourself after reading somewhere or seeing a video about solo developers.

A solo developer is someone who loves to work alone and create awesome software that can help solve real-life problems.

A pretty definition, don't you think? Well, that's just one. This article will try to delve into the life of a solo developer and give you a full understanding of what it really is.


## One for All, All for One  

![One for All, All for One](https://image.solodevhub.com/solodevhub/solo-developer/One%20for%20all%2C%20all%20for%20one.webp)

To build a software application from scratch, it is usually necessary to form a different team of developers, artists, graphic designers, sound engineers, investors, and so on.

But, for a solo developer, it only takes yourself to build a full-blown application from nothing. This is one of the great superpowers of a solo developer. To do all things as one and build all the necessary components of an application into a single usable, extraordinary product.

Sounds great, don't you think? Hold your amazement, because we are just starting.

## With great power comes great responsibility.

![With great power comes great responsibility](https://image.solodevhub.com/solodevhub/solo-developer/power-and-responsibility.webp)

When you are a solo developer, all the responsibility for creating a software application totally depends on you.

You don't have anybody to tell you how to do this or that. You have only yourself. That is why the job of a solo developer may be overwhelming for some.

For instance, when developing a game alone, you have to do all the programming, game sounds and music, art assets, marketing, funds, etc. That is a lot for a single person to do.

However, solo developers have achieved that kind of monumental task, for example "Notch", the creator of "Minecraft", "ConcernedApe", the solo developer of "Stardew Valley", and Toby Fox, the maker of "Undertale", to name a few.

## The road less traveled

![The road less traveled](https://image.solodevhub.com/solodevhub/solo-developer/road-less-traveled.webp)

A solo developer's path is something less likely to be ventured by anybody because of the very high risk associated with it.

For example, when you start a project like a website, it takes a lot of your time and energy to build one. The costs associated with it, like the development cost, domain name, and hosting platform fees, are quite pricey for a single person to shoulder alone.

When you deploy that website to production, there's no assurance that it will generate lots of traffic and revenue.

Therefore, other software developers opt to work in the corporate world to achieve a stable income.

## Solo developer equals freedom.

![Solo developer equals freedom](https://image.solodevhub.com/solodevhub/solo-developer/solo-developer-equals-freedom.webp)


The greatest and ultimate benefit that you get from being a solo developer is freedom. The ability to do whatever you want while earning a substantial income is the epitome of success for a solo developer.

This is achievable, and many have done it too. It may take time and great effort to to build, deploy, and grow your career as a solo developer, but in the end, everything will be worth it.

It just takes enough will and perseverance to never give up amidst all odds.

## Conclusion

A solo developer's job is a lot, but that doesn't mean that it is not doable. Many have succeeded in working solo. They all have one thing on their minds. That is, to achieve freedom while doing whatever they love.

So, after all these intricacies surrounding the meaning of a solo developer, I hope you now have even a little idea of what it really is. Cheers!