agileqr

Don't waste your time taking courses. You'll learn good things in those courses you listed and you should take them, but they won't help you get a product out the door - you can get started way earlier.

Just define your MVP and at each point along the way ask yourself "what do I need to learn to complete feature X?" and then dig that information out online and implement!

Actually, I totally applaud these guys for getting their MVP out quickly via WordPress to get to what matters most - finding out what users/customers want!

That would be pretty sweet!

Interesting. I found myself reluctant to start using this just because of the fact that I'd have to use an e-mail address, but I ended up submitting a topic anyway from one of my secondary e-mail accounts, just because I'm interested in participating in new ideas. I do wonder though, how many people who would otherwise try out the service, are stopped in their tracks due to the mandatory e-mail aspect?

I'm glad you brought up the point about software architecture because it's something I constantly find myself explaining: the difference between good architecture that survives many many generations and forms of code re-use vs. code monkey output that is fit only for that individual programmer's or his client's one-time use. This is an especially important point to bring up when you encounter business people who wonder why we can't just outsource everything. Cheaply-outsourced code is too often the drudge code monkey output we would find deplorable.

Hey cwilson, can you elaborate on why you think "meeting the right people and getting your name out there is just SO much easier" in the Bay Area? Do you mean getting your name out to customers, investors, potential hires, potential acquirers, or some combination?

I wouldn't say that customers are exclusively device-loyal and network-agnostic. The convenience of using the same device can be outweighed by frustration over the network's coverage, downtime, etc. Everyone has different breaking points, but I guarantee that if you couldn't get reliable service where you spend most of your time, you'd strongly consider a different device!