Host: Welcome to the first episode of our fictional show! Today, we have a special guest, Indy. Indy, could you introduce yourself and share what problems you’re currently facing?
Indy: Hi, I’m Indy D. Loper. I’m good at making apps. I have programming skills and even some design sense. But I’m terrible at marketing. How can I turn my app development into a profitable business?
Host: Well, the easiest solution might be to get a job. Big tech companies pay very well for programmers. You’d code all day, have a stable income, and wouldn’t need to worry about marketing.
Indy: The problem is, I can’t find a big tech company where I feel comfortable working for. And the job market sucks. And I don’t work well with others or handle office politics. My sleep cycle is irregular, so I can never work a 9-5 office job.
Host: Okay, forget about office jobs. What about freelancing for smaller companies?
Indy: To run a successful freelance business, you still need to do marketing. It’s just that instead of marketing your apps, you will be marketing yourself.
Host: Are you lucky? Notch is a multibillionaire, and the creator of Stardew Valley is probably quite rich too. Why not aim to be like them?
Indy: I’m not a lucky person. I’m the type to step in the same dog poop twice. Sometimes I even bet against my desired outcome, hoping my bad luck will turn it in my favor. No thanks.
Host: Maybe you should try to get better at marketing? It’s just another skill like programming. Put in the effort, and you’ll be unstoppable.
Indy: I’m not okay with most marketing methods. Marketing gurus all sound like scammers to me. The “features and benefits” pages of marketing tools make me feel sick.
Host: Alright, forget about traditional marketing. How about building your own audience? That’s a form of marketing too.
Indy: That only works if you’re the kind of person who always has a lot to say. If you’re quiet and keep things to yourself, building an audience is really hard. We live in a society where the loudest wins. If you are shy and never throw a tantrum or run to the press, you’re at a serious disadvantage.
Host: If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your current strategy?
Indy: I keep making new apps and improving my existing ones, hoping for the best.
Host: How about continuing what you’re doing and hoping for different results someday?
Indy: That’s the definition of insanity, right?
Host: Oh, I see. I’m running out of ideas. How about saying app development is your hobby and pretending money is not important?
Indy: Yes, that sounds good! I’ll tell people I’m just making apps for myself, so whether they’re a financial success doesn’t matter. Actually, you’ve reminded me of another idea I need to work on! Time for another app! *Clicks*
Host: Hello? Hello? It looks like Indy has disconnected. Well, that concludes our show! See you next time!
