From Freelance to Founder: Why I Started Building My Own Products at 56
Source: Dev.to
I’ve been programming since the Commodore 64.
That’s not a flex — it’s context. I’ve watched this industry evolve from floppy disks to cloud deployments, from BASIC to TypeScript, from “what’s the internet?” to AI everything. And for most of those decades, I was building products for other people.
The Freelance Trap
Freelancing has been good to me: interesting problems, great clients, and the flexibility to live abroad (currently based in Thailand 🇹🇭). I’m not complaining.
But there’s a ceiling. You trade time for money. Every project ends, and you never build equity — just invoices. The worst part? I kept having ideas for products I wanted to build, but client work always came first.
The Shift
In 2020, I finally did something about it. I started NerdSnipe Inc as an umbrella for my own products. Not one moonshot bet — a portfolio of smaller bets: iOS apps, web apps, AI‑powered tools. Ship fast, learn faster, let the market decide what works.
I still take on client work (old habits die hard, and honestly, recurring revenue from products takes time to build), but the balance is shifting.
What I’ve Learned So Far
- Decades of experience is a superpower – I can ship faster now than I could at 25. Not because I type faster, but because I’ve already made most of the mistakes. I know which corners to cut and which to protect.
- Building for yourself is terrifying – When a client’s product fails, it’s their problem. When your product fails, it hits different. But at least you own the upside.
- The indie‑maker community is incredible – I wish I’d found this world sooner. People sharing revenue numbers, growth tactics, failures — it’s like a support group and a masterclass combined.
What’s Next
I’m documenting this journey: the wins, the failures, the revenue (or lack thereof), the lessons.
If you’re a developer thinking about making the jump from client work to products — follow along. I’ll share what actually works and what doesn’t.
And if you’re already on this path, I’d love to connect. Drop a comment or find me at nerdsnipe.cc.
Here’s to building things that are actually ours. 🚀