[dabinat]

I’ve had my own software business for 17 years, and a lot of this article read like my own life story.

My advice would be to create a product that YOU need and design it how you would want it to work if it was an app someone else made. Then dog-food the hell out of it.

Also, make sure not to compete directly with enormous companies because you will always lose. If an enormous company creates a feature that could Sherlock your app, find a way to pivot. Always be on your toes.

Finally, recognize the strengths you have that large companies cannot provide. For me, that is support. My customers can instantly get access to the person who wrote the software and don’t have to go through multiple tiers of support to get the correct answer. Several customers have said the support I provide is the main reason they do not use my larger, better-funded competitors.