Good Ideas Take Time

I enjoy the challenges of learning and applying new skills or concepts to produce something that has value, but sometimes wish I could arrive at the destination quickly. From the design, to learning the techniques or frameworks necessary to implement the design, to the inevitable gotchas, lots of time is often required to bring ideas to fruition.

It has been a little over a year since I started my personal project called Scripture Box. When I began, all I knew was that I wanted to create a "simple WinRT app." But reality set in (actually, it still is):

• XAML differences between WPF/Silverlight and WinRT
• WinRT application life cycle, app contracts, etc.
• The whole occasionally-connected app scenario
• SQLite
• Azure Mobile Services
• Gotcha - can't update a SQL Azure table via Moible Services unless the Id column is explicitly lower-case (id vs Id)!
• Continual design revisions as I've observed more and better apps in the Store
• Windows Store Design Guidelines
• Windows Store API
• Ins and outs of a LLC
• legal issues
• taxes
• funding
• Having a good web presence
• Azure Websites and Cloud Services
• Marketing your product
• Creating a good web app experience for reaching more people
• Pricing an app / service
• What the stats show vs what you think makes sense
• Second-guessing your pricing strategy
• Prioritizing the countless ideas that come to mind for improving your app / service, with each involving more learning and gotchas

I've learned a lot in the past year on this project - more than I anticipated. In the forefront is the reality that worthwhile ideas take time to develop.