How do you define success as a Maker?
Aaron O'Leary
25 replies
This is something I often think about, success differs for everyone, some do it for financial gain, some do it for freedom, others do it to help people. How do you define your success as a maker?
Replies
To be able to go on a 14-days holiday without my laptop/mobile whenever I want.
In retrospect, it requires financial freedom and a business that runs on auto-pilot.
End of the day the number of users that are loving your product and using it + the money that you make!
@betteraliaghdam what if maker started as a passion project and don't want to make money
@betteraliaghdam @sahil_patel4 I think getting a lot of upvotes on Product Hunt would be great if it's a passion project..
I'll consider myself a success when I can quit my job and work on my projects full time. Luckily my expenses a really low and I'm a minimalist.
Working on whatever you are passionate about.
For me success of a Maker means seeing how your work helps others become better, and getting for it the amount of money that lets you not to worry about how much money you have.
Success for me this far has been Seeing smiles on a happy clients face. Even more so when They've become a returning client. That reminds me of why I love doing all I do. In a whole success will be the time when I'm well known in my city or maybe even statewide or further. When financial freedom is something I can inguldge in. Those are visions for the bigger picture but even now working towards those things, I can say I'm successful bc I wake up everyday and am able to do what I love & it happens to make people wear a smile and spread love.
The usefulness of what you make
Launching soon!
Success for me personally is divided in 2 steps:
1) Starting a Project: I believe is a huge success for any entrepreneur or solopreneur. Millions of people never attempt it, due to Fear alone, which stands for False Evidence Appearing Real
2) Finishing a Project that solves a particular 'need' or 'pain point' is a huge success, simply cause it's a lonely experience as an entrepreneur and it requires you to have the right mindset and thinking. It's in many ways: A Battlefield of the Mind. Key for me is to envision your project being a Big Success in the future! There will be ups and downs, but true success IMO is 1) Starting and 2) Finishing :)
Success is a moving goal post! Your first paying customer is a big success. Then, the cash flow to hire your first employee...
I tried to separate personal and professional success but it just doesn't work. I'm a single working mother and so success is related to this:
Being able to take the day off, pick up the girls from school and say "screw work, we go to the beach/mountain/mall today". It's about freedom, but also from constraints society puts on you. I don't live up in the clouds (or below a rainbow - as I'm currently in Ireland), and I know that financial freedom is the basis, followed by a team I can trust as @draptis mentions.
Success for me is also that my kids see their future as more than just having to get a job at a company.
Just enjoy the process. You're alive only once and you get to do what you like. Cherish the moment.
I feel good when my clients are happy & that's success for me. Onec your clients are happy you get a sustainable business.
This is not about success, this is about the path. Make it happen !
Constantly growing! No one ever should think "they've made it". We should always be looking for a place to grow and improve. If you're able to keep up with the ever-changing world and have a stable growth, that's success!
Also, personally I think if you're influencing people and make them feel something, you're successful. If you're working on something which helps the people, great! But even if you're selling a product which may be considered "useless" to some, if you're giving something to community, having a good intention (maybe you're donating out of your profit), that's just wonderful to me. We need more of that..
To be followed by the Community manager of Product Hunt :D
As a maker, I believe the defined term of success, in this case, is accomplishing a certain goal or benchmark. However, success can also be tied to emotions; feeling good about your project, confidence is high, everything is looking good🔥🔥🔥💪
Not a maker yet, but I'd think that when there's a person who genuinely likes the product and uses it on his/her own.
