[NathanKP]

Exactly. I did the very same thing, made a small app that showed off my coding skills. It only made about $1000 through Amazon Affiliate sales over the course of a year, but it got some press coverage and got me numerous job offers, one of which I ended up accepting.

There is a lot of value to be had from providing a free web app if you are a lone hacker looking for a job.

[davidw]

So - the people who make enough to pay you a salary - what business are they in, and how do they make their money?

I'm not trying to be snarky. Well, maybe just a little, but in a good-natured way - I think you got a good deal that probably met or exceeded your expectations, which is commendable!

But you did not create a sustainable business. To do so with ads is not impossible, but since each user generally gives you way, way less revenue than with something where they pay for it, you really have to parsimonious with resources per user.

[OGC]

Also a 1000 bucks is a thousand bucks.