[rmc]

We just have to hit that sweet spot of a really cool product/game/characters.

Sounds like you're banking on winning the lottery. If you want to be a world famous creator of this, then that's what you should aim for. However if you want to run a business, and allow yourself to work full time on this, then you don't need to be a rock star. You can, in fact, support your business fulltime without having to 'strike gold'.

[waru]

Well, I didn't necessarily mean being a rock star or the next Angry Birds, but there is a general sweet spot of "cool, desirable product" that I want to hit.

You mean that with a good marketing strategy and a self-sustaining business model, we don't need to have "the next big thing" in order to support ourselves and do this full-time, right?

[rmc]

If you charge more than $1 you don't need to be the next big thing, since you need less customers.

I am a little confused by your question about marketing. Do you think marketing and a business model are optional? You aren't going to have a mega hit or a small successful business without marketing.

That doesn't mean you must act out scenes from Mad Men or do boring PowerPoint presentations, you can be unconventional, like notch's "oops my server is broke, everyone gets a free copy", or talking about your business model on HN.

[waru]

To clarify, I don't think marketing or a business model are optional, and I don't expect to have a hit or a small successful business without them. I would like to try something unconventional, so we'll see.