Good Reasons for Building Your Next Web App
Lately this topic has been coming up during round-table talks at work, and I also often find myself talking about this topic with friends over drinks. Yes, this probably means I need to be smashed in the balls with a big sign saying “SOCIAL LIFE?” over and over again, but that’s another conversation. Over the last 8 months I’ve been involved with the development of a few web apps and I’m about to embark on a 2nd personal web app project very soon (which I’ll refer to in future posts under the codename “lightbulb”), so this is a subject that I currently have a certain amount of emotional attachment to.
Cowardly disclaimer: Of course, everyone has a different reason for building a web app. Most of my opinion is based on the fact that I believe small teams (or 1 person alone) can do great things for the web by making a focused, simple app that they can roll out swiftly, efficiently and support well - as opposed to the same small team attempting to make the next Myspace, where the scope is so large that by the time it is finished (and safe for public use) any number of similar, new Myspace wannabes will have popped up, all braying for the same users.
OK Let’s Hear Those Reasons…
 You’ve found a task in your everday life that is mundane but necessary and could translate well to a simple, easy-to-use web app
I am of course talking about GTD. GTD, for those who aren’t familiar with the acronym, is not a Genitally Transmitted Disease (if such a thing exists - like, masturbate then 2 weeks later your hand falls off). Getting Things Done is, in it’s most tangible sense a book by David Allen, that acts as a collection of philosophies and ideas on how to organise your time. In a broader sense, GTD has been adopted as the unofficial label for any kind of software or activity that helps you to process a form of information quickly and effectively. Getting Things Done is undoubtedly much more useful than warts on your penis.
The potential for GTD-based applications on the web is huge, and a lot of the more successful “simple” apps are based around the idea of helping people to achieve something that is otherwise difficult or mundane to do outside of the context of the app. For example, del.icio.us helps you organise your bookmarks (in a social environment, which we’ll get to later), ta-da list helps you to create simple to-do lists. These apps are genuinely useful and it is that - not marketing hype or flashy visuals - which makes these sites popular.
If you’re trying to think of an idea for your next app, why not take a moment to visualise your average day and all the little tasks you need to perform and repeat. What action or activity could be better achieved via a website? You never know, you might just come up with a great idea that will have a positive impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
 You’ve found an everyday task that you and many others enjoy, but have no means with which to share the experience
Social web services such as flickr or the aforementioned del.icio.us enjoy vast amounts of users and I’m sure everyone involved in web application / service development dreams of this to some extent. For this kind of web app, however, there are some caveats. For example, if the theme is too niche you are setting an artificial limit on the popularity of the site. Whilst you should never rate your work simply by how popular it is, creating something ultra niche like a new social blogging tool for people who only write in vowels might not be a great idea because in the case of social web services, a site’s usefulness relies on the constant input and activity of its users.
 You have the ability to leverage a new technology or have the knack for IU design to make a significant improvement on a particular area of web services that is already represented
One of the most frustrating things for a web application developer when brainstorming new projects, is coming up with a brilliant, inspired idea and finding out that someone out there has already done it. It’s not all cause for crying in the corner, clawing at your eyes and listening to Eric Carmen’s “All By Myself” on constant loop, though. No, you should only do that if you find out that someone has already done your idea and implemented it as well or better than you imagined yours would be. If you think you can do better, go right head - in this situation everybody wins. Users have more choice and the development team at the original site gets the impetus (read: foot up the arse) to improve their service.
 You have the ability to leverage a new technology to carve out an entirely new genre of web app
This is where the exciting stuff happens and if you fall into this category and are reading this, consider me humbled. Deep technology is what will prevent your unique idea suddenly becoming a genre that is being flooded by copycats. Take for example Riya. Riya is a photo organising service and it employs technology that can recognise human faces in images. Whilst I am not convinced that making a flickr-like site is the best use of this technology, I am quite sure that Riya will have no problems recouping their research costs in the future, through either licensing (i.e. allowing other sites to use face-recognition in other ways, creating a “new genre”) or simply coming up with a better idea to use with the technology.
Neat. What about the bad reasons?
There is only one bad reason - money. The problem with money, or making a web app to “get rich” or be bought out, is that you will become more likely to corrupt your initial vision to reach your goal. If you corrupt your initial vision, you decrease the amount of emotional attachment you have to the site. Maybe this sounds too sugar-coated and I should go and counter it later by punching a kitten right in the face or something, but the kind of web developer I want to be is someone who makes tools that have a positive effect on the lives of people I’ve never met. The satisfaction of knowing that someone’s life is marginally better because of what you made is better than any monetary reward. Course, I’ll probably change my tune when Yahoo offer me a BILLION DOLLARS for sketchplanet.
Thanks for reading.
The article is low on content and I’d consider most stuff to be “obvious”. Also it’s a bit strange to see your writing-style (eg sentences with penis references) mixed up in an informative article.
Where are you going exactly with this new paradigm (to continue the use of buzzwords)? Are you just going to write about Web2.0 trends or actually discuss the in’s and out’s of the technology itself? The latter would be far more interesting (to me atleast). I think it’s obvious your strengths are in the development-area instead of bullshit-spouting-management.
funny, I deleted a paragraph that said most of this stuff is obvious and that it’s more about me collecting my thoughts before I start brainstorming “lightbulb”. Sorry you didn’t like it.
Those are some good reasons. There is one flaw/reason/what-have-you that I see. For ecample (as opposed to “example”), I’m good on the mechanics but “creativity” waved bye-bye to me a long time ago. THere are some of us that just don’t have that “creative” in us.
Fan is right in that most of what you’ve mentioned thus far in this article hasn’t been mentioned other places, but I liked it. The penis smashing/cat bashing makes it more lively and sometimes people need to be reminded about things like this…
…or maybe I need some smashing in the nether-regions as well. shrug
PISS. this is what I get for not re-reading before clicking post. I meant “HAS” been mentioned before. ….hell.
Perhaps these posts are more geared for readers like myself who have an interest web…stuff…but can’t be bothered to slog through the mind-numbingly dry articles on the subject. I find the loose and light-hearted writing style keeps my interest as Yongfook explains what gets into the region of “Guig doesn’t understand so he punches his genitals” type subject matter. I had never heard of ta-da list and have since signed up. Here’s a question, would you actually recommend Allen’s Getting Things Done, or were you simply referencing it to clarify GTD?
Guig > I recently had the book bought for me as a belated birthday gift. Ironically I have only read about half because I’m too…busy…but I agree with the overall approach (which actually, you don’t need the book for, it’s outlined on the wikipedia entry for GTD). I know a few people it has helped and it generally gets positive reviews from the press / readers, so I think it’s worth picking up.
Guig, For me, you nailed it on the head. I am interested in stuff, but my eyes tend to dry out when I read those sleep-inducing articles. Well, that and like I said, I’m missing the “creative” chromosome. So I look to YF for inspiration (no pressure).
I have to agree with Guig and Leo. I found this article quite interesting and refreshing. Usually when I come across such an article I would skim the first paragraph then fall asleep (quite an expense for keyboards). So YF thank you for making this technobabble interesting. My keyboard also thanks you from the bottom of it’s Alt button.
Thanks for this. I for one have never dared to attempt writing anything beyond, oh, crap text apps in BASIC, so I haven’t read anything persuasive about web apps yet. You almost made me write one. Now, if only I can get rid of that 12:00 on my VCR…
Actually I really don’t think being unable to program the thing yourself should be seen as a handicap. Half of the battle is the idea and I think if you can come up with a great, workable idea it wouldn’t be too difficult to find someone amongst your pool of friends (or their friends) who can help you. It goes the other way too - for example take a look at Leo’s comments. You two might make a great team.
I want 5%.
Fuck, that’s low. I’m claiming 30% if you’re only going 5.
I want 80% of your 30%.
Here’s an idea. Programme VCRs without clocks. Guig and YF: You’re going to be rich.
…Can I get in on this profit sharing? I have nothing to offer in return, except lovin’.
Doesn’t Tivo already implement this? Just select the programma, no clocks involved.
Anybody have any theories on the mysterious and elusive “lightbulb” yet? I’m guessing it’s a social networking site… with idea’s… and AJAX and rounded corners.
Ohjesusfuckingchristonapopsiclestick!!! That would be so fabulous. Alas, no easy-to-use web app can perform the mundane but necessary tasks in my everyday life… Such easy-to-use apps would be called servants, or maids, or a gardener and a driver, and they come wearing goofy uniforms, and not as web apps.
fan_formerly_known_as_fan > and tagging!
No, it’s a GTD app. Nothing to do with social networking.
When’s the launch of “lightbulb?” 2 weeks? 3 years?
I’m aiming for mid-July.
Yeah, part of the problem is you try and help people (for example with a succint and readable outline) and they take time out of their day to bitch about your efforts, as if their level of net savvy is universal and nobody would’ve benefitted from reading it.
This detracts significantly from the spritual pool of benevolence and increases tips the balance in favour of kitten-punching rage. Everybody’s a loser.
GTD? Then this might be for you: http://www.structuredprocrastination.com/
“I have been intending to write this essay for months. Why am I finally doing it? Because I finally found some uncommitted time? Wrong. I have papers to grade, textbook orders to fill out, an NSF proposal to referee, dissertation drafts to read. I am working on this essay as a way of not doing all of those things. This is the essence of what I call structured procrastination, an amazing strategy I have discovered that converts procrastinators into effective human beings, respected and admired for all that they can accomplish and the good use they make of time.”
“Getting Things Done is undoubtedly much more useful than warts on your penis.”
Ha ha ha.
Perhaps David Allen should use this endorsement on the back of the next edition?
Oooh, not been on here for a while interesting re-design Yongfook. Question, am I right in thinking ‘Lightbulb’ = Orchestrate?
What I’d be really interested in is a web-app that motivates, unlike some of your other readers I have a gazillion usually useless ideas (http://www.baacode.net/) but no motivation to act them out. I’d like a web-app that was some sort of motivational guru that told me to put down the pizza and actually program or design something of my own instead of looking at other people’s machinations.
Nice work all round though. One initial criticism with OHQ is I’d like it to work a little more like http://www.backpackit.com/ i.e. you can uncheck ‘checked’ list items.
Willster > Lightbulb is not Orchestrate. I made Orchestrate basically to practice creating an app and also because I really needed to use it in my daily life. Lightbulb will benefit from some of the stuff I learned whilst building Orchestrate, but it is an entirely different app. And actually, you’ve almost guessed the point of Lightbulb…
It’s almost mid-July! :) Do you still think we’ll see Lightbulb this month?