I'm Indie can you Spare some Change?
October 10, 2015
"Mommas don't let your Babies Grow up to be Indies." That's my modern interpretation of that classic. If you're unfamiliar with how that song actually goes it says cowboys at the end not indies just for clarification. What does it mean to be Indie? Who can call themselves Indie? I'll be attempting to explain these things to the best of my knowledge.
In my mind the word Indie and Entrepreneur are synonymous for somebody who holds the success of a company in their hands. This person is strapped in for better or worst. My father told me one time that an entrepreneur is somebody who only has to work half days its just a matter of which 12 hours they work. As an Indie you're guaranteed all the work you can handle but the glory is defined differently by most Indies. Sounds bad. So who in their right mind would be an Indie?
You might be an indie if...
- You're self motivating and driven.
- You can manage your own time.
- You're willing to sacrifice stability for your passion.
If you're worried those things sound difficult it's because they are. In my experience any honest Indie will tell you he struggles with those things daily. For all the risk most will tell you it's more than worth it.
Here's a few of my favorite perks of the Indie lifestyle...
- You make your schedule.
- The most important task in front of you is the one you choose.
- Doing what you're passionate about is never actually work!
I'm sure a few people might disagree with me on these points but each person's reward is a little different. If you're interested in hearing more I'd high suggest getting plugged into the community. For me that means the iOS developer community so I'd recommend podcast and one of my favorites is Release Notes. They have engaging weekly conversations about the business side of being an Indie Developer and you'll wanna take notes.
Everyday I'm learning what it means to be Indie and I hope to for a long time. Does this lifestyle sound appealing to you? If so I'd challenge you to evaluate your possibilities. Risk and Reward management is useful but don't let it stop you from trying to achieve your dream.