In this interview made by InfoQ’s Rob Bazinet during RubyFringe 2008, Dan Grigsby talks about programming and entrepreneurship, how a programmer can take his idea and transform it into a successful product.
Watch: Dan Grigsby Shares Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurship (20 min.)
A successful entrepreneur himself, Dan has a pool of ideas to choose from all the time, and he starts by partially implementing some of them, then he tests how they are received. If the idea is well received, then he invest more time and money in it or it sells it to someone else.
When starting to work on a new idea, Dan suggests not to go alone. He personally needs someone to share his thoughts with, to rely on, and to work with. Going alone takes way too much determination.
Also, it is important to know when to quit a failing idea. If one quits too soon, he might miss a big opportunity that was just not developed enough. If one quits too late, he will waste too much time and resources. Having someone else to partner with also helps to choose the right moment to quit, he says.
Dan also talks about getting new ideas. He does not get them from technical sources but rather from the surrounding society and culture. He notices a need, reflects a long time upon it, then acts.