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  • Hacker News
  • If you have the balls to create and release something, you’re a legend. Don’t be a corporate NPC trying to look like the smartest person in the meeting and optimizing some stupid KPI for your next promotion packet. Life’s far too short. Save me the cliche rebuttals too, I’ve already heard them.
    by codemog
  • But the corporations are where all the money is, and the system murders you if you don't have money.
    by inigyou
  • >NPC

    >mog

    Touch grass

    by Drupon
  • You do realize that there is a large spectrum of occupations between a self-employed software developer, and a "corporate NPC", don't you? And, do you really reject all counterarguments outright, like you heard all of them already and there is nothing new you can learn, nor any place of individual circumstances in life?
    by alentred
  • > Corporate NPC

    That's a really good description, I should update my linkedin profile :)

    by jopsen
  • How is this the most upvoted comment? I get great joy out of being a great engineer at work. I LOVE solving hard problems and helping people. People at work using my tools or reading my documents brings me joy.

    You can do this and release things! Do both!

    by _dark_matter_
  • Yeah, but for most people, the paycheck from being a 'corporate NPC' is a profound and unbeatable argument.

    Rent is due every month and stores don't accept personal IOUs....

    by khriss
  • As an indie software maker, I agree. I've been thinking about this a lot too. I'm going to start by polishing my indieweb site first. A site needs to look decent to be trustworthy.
    by jdw64
  • In 2026 a site should not look made by Claude to feel trustworthy, IMHO
    by dgellow
  • If you’re fortunate to have the chance, do it and don’t look back.
    by mikeaskew4
  • I had the fortune and grit to build and release something on my own. It took years and a lot of pain. Then came the pain of supporting it in production. I generally regret putting myself through this and I do look back. I do think it is worth trying something, but you need to be careful what exactly you are building. Too many times I got lost in details or spent way too much time on things that were not worth it. Also, giving up sooner when you see it doesn't work can be a good thing.
    by 202508042147
  • Thanks for the frankly sharing of the journey, being in the same boat, after two years of not-worth-to-mention revenue from appstore, it seems start to get on track a bit now

    I think I am not the lucky one to get overnight success and like in the post get the lucky time on iOS 15 release

    Being writing a long article to record my indie app developper journey, Hope I can read in calm of it one decade later

    by mintflow
  • the software engineering profession seems to be one of the few professions that doesn't reward 20+ year professionals. with doctors, lawyers etc - your value goes up past 40.

    but in software engineering with ageism - your value "goes down". when it should be the reverse if you're an IC.

    so yeah going your own way as quick as possible - is not insurance for your sanity but income too.

    is it easy no, but worth it.

    by dzonga
  • "surfing is not a sport, it's a way of life"

    Agreed friend

    Also, "it takes five years to become an overnight success" is a fantastic line.

    Great read

    by jesse__
  • "It takes five years to become an overnight success" I heard a variation of this from a VC who invested in my startup in the 8Os. I had to use it on him when we went back to the well a few times for more funding.
    by diskzero
  • As someone who has made a living as an Indie developer for 20 years (creating Windows and Mac apps) I feel it is getting harder:

    https://successfulsoftware.net/2025/12/22/is-the-golden-age-...

    by hermitcrab
  • You focused largely on the promotional aspect, though I think the product competition angle is more interesting.

    The other day I saw someone famous(ish) announce a new desktop application, to meaningful reception.

    Thirty minutes later I had the same application, in every meaningful way. Built, working, ready for distribution.

    It was just a test and I’m not about to sell it, but I can’t see how this doesn’t come down hard on indie developers.

    This example produced reasonably done swift using appropriate system libs… so while “slop” will be a thing people might ignore for now, I think the bar has to go way, way up for real developers.

    by dd8601fn