Have you ever had that itch to create something? To use what you are good at not for the good of your employer, but for you. I have decided to scratch that itch. It’s a app that I hope will help me in my career even if it doesn’t make any money. This is going to be a series (hopefully) on documenting that journey.

Every project I do starts with finding the right name, even if its a codename. Mine is slatebench.

What is it?⌗

Lawyer software, I have several friends who are lawyers and the software market sounds less than appealing. Looking around the market most software focuses on billing which is super important but less on case management. That is where I think the niche is.

Why?⌗

To scratch an itch, to play with the cool paradigms that work would never allow (or take a year). To move a speed of development that feels freeing, and to possibly create a future that includes me being my own boss.

How did I start?⌗

  1. Find a name I like
  2. See if domain is available
    1. Repeat 10 times
  3. Find a cloud provider
    1. Google
      1. Less but better documented services than AWS
      2. Easier mental model
      3. $300 credit
  4. Start developing
    1. Throw away the first 5 prototypes
    2. Iterate and refine
    3. Test ideas
  5. Solicit Feedback
    1. Find someone that shares your passion
    2. Find some users
  6. Goto 4