I've said it before. It's not a quote I authored. I heard it myself a long time ago.
In good times, features become products. Products become companies.
In bad times, products become features and companies become products.
When it comes to product development in the WordPress ecosystem, now's the time to build your products. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with services. But I'm a product guy. So of course I'm going to suggest you build a product. It's the lens I look at the world thru.
My point, though, isn't to convince you that products are great or better than services. No, my point is simply that WordPress is growing. And because it's growing, tons of people – from my hair stylist to my kids' teachers – have now heard of it. That's saying something!
As more and more folks hear about WordPress and decide to give it a try, the market will grow. The ecosystem will grow. And we'll look back and call these years the “good ones.”
And in the good years, features become products and products become companies.
So what are you waiting for?
I know. Creating a product can induce tons of stress.
- What do I create?
- How do I know it will sell?
- What do I price it at?
- How do I write about it?
- Where do I market it?
I bet these are the questions that come to mind, right?
Well I have good and bad news for you.
Let's start with the bad news.
No amount of reading, studying, analyzing, interviewing, or lean ____ (fill in the blank with any verb you like), will deliver a magical silver bullet to slay all the dragons that create fear in your heart.
Until you start acting. Doing something. Trying something. Testing something. Until you act, and realize you haven't died (or no one has hurt you because you've tried something), you won't be able to deal with your fear.
Fear is real. It has power.
But fear can be dealt with. As you act. As you risk. You'll discover that the worst things you thought were possible didn't happen. No, a really important person didn't just call you out and cause millions of people online to mock you. No, your family didn't disown you.
But here's the truth. The fear won't go away as long as you keep thinking about it.
Now let's talk about the good news.
The good news is that there are some incredible resources out there that could help you navigate some of these waters. I know some folks who know that fear you've had and have stepped past it.
My friend Andrew Norcross just rolled out a new product and is offering mentorship.
My friends Carrie Dils & Rebecca Gill are Genesis Theme folks and are always willing to share some insight.
My buddy Cory Miller shares insights all the time (on posts, talks, and interviews), and he created an eCommerce product when everything thought the market was saturated!
My friend Brian Richards designed an entire site just to share insights with you.
I could go on for hours. I haven't told you about my friends Dre, Syed, David, Karim, or others I trust to help me think about products.
Who do you want to know?
This is the time, my friend, for you to step out and take a few risks. Interview a few folks. Pick a few brains.
This is the time, my friend, for you to try to scratch that itch that gnaws at you.
This is the time, my friend, for you to ignore the little voice telling you the market is too crowded and that there's no place for you to compete.
There's plenty of space. The water is warm. Jump on in.
So tell me this. Who do you want to know? What kind of help do you want? You let me know if there's someone I can introduce you to, and I promise you this – I'll make every effort I can to connect you up with someone in my network who can spend a few minutes answering a question you have.