This exactly why I’m building aiki to be a control layer for harness execution. I don’t think the model companies will ever give us the neutral layer we need.
I've gone all in on jj with a OSS framework I'm building. With just a little extra context, the agents have been amazingly adapt at slicing and dicing with jj. Gives them a place to play without stomping on normal git processes.
Hard to say much without seeing the keywords you're running this ad against. I'd say the biggest problem is that the searcher has no idea what you do from your ad. For all they know you could be selling wholesale shirts. So #1 get your main benefit/feature up front and center.
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Obviously you have to play with it but that should send you in the right direction. It's all trial and error though. Good luck!
That would be resounding yes. I have over ten years of experience in my market, but I still learn something every time I talk to a potential customer. Talking with customers will challenge most of your assumptions, and we can all use a little time outside our bubbles.
It's near impossible to find anything with zero competition. If you think you can build and market it, do it. You never know what direction your competition is going to take.
I'm working on project that would have been in direct competition with a YC funded company. Then they were bought by Twitter and dissolved a month before my launch date.
I used to have the same workflow. Checkout http://spootnik.net to sync OmniFocus with your Basecamp accounts. Then you can just work in OmniFocus for the most part.
I've since moved everything into http://getflow.com. If you're mainly using the task lists in Basecamp, have a look at them.
It sounds like you have self confidence issues which lead to a fear of failure. The only way to overcome it is to take a leap of faith. The time is now. I waited until I was 30 to really get over it, and I wasted most of my 20s. So basically:
- stop comparing yourself to others
- stop being afraid of failure
- just fucking do it
You'll be amazed how freeing it is to not worry about failing anymore. This isn't to say it isn't a hard "habit" to break. I still have my own doubts, but I just remember rejection/failure is only temporary. To paraphrase someone much wiser than me:
"On my deathbed, I will regret not trying things far more than I'll regret failing at them"
So my suggestion to you: start a side project and get to hacking. Pick a small problem that drives you crazy and set out to program a solution in Rails. It doesn't even have to be something to make money; you just need to put yourself out there.
Maybe this isn't you, but your story sounds very familiar. I've been self-employed since I was 20, but I never let myself take it to the next level. If I can save you or someone else those wasted years, it was worth writing this. This Steve Jobs quote still gives me chills, and it spurred me to change my life:
"For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something…almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose."