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Ask HN: How to get around programmatic writers block?

7 points by ascendant ↗ HN
I'm a corporate java programmer in Cleveland, OH. Not exactly a job that inspires creativity, not exactly a city that inspires it either (that second part is slowly changing). I've done some Rails projects and a friend and I tried our hands at writing an Android app a few years back. Since then I've obtained a Mac with a desire to do some more serious Rails/Python/iOS/Android programming. Partially for myself, partially to shore up my resume as my wife searches the countryside for a job.

My problem is this: I've assembled everything I need to get started and I regularly sit down in front of my computer and fire up my tools and then....nothing. I am having serious drought in terms of creativity and ideas for sites/apps. I work at a company that has formal requirements gathering and software design (actual this-is-how-the-software-works design, not this-is-how-the-software-looks design), and so I feel my ability to think up things on my own is atrophying and I'm curious what other HN'ers do to spark creativity, especially if they're not the artistic type.

10 comments

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zoowar
Fork a FOSS project and add a feature.
spooneybarger
I like this idea.

Another is, if there is a simple closed source service you use but it is missing a feature or two you think would be very valuable to you, start your own version of that service with those features planned.

You might never release anything but it gets you moving towards a goal.

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trollhammeren
Welcome to the real world. Now spend your time reading (You may think not but it's very important. After all, "no man is an island") articles about other apps, how they are changing things for users and then try to come up with situations you'd want an app for (easier said than done, probably the toughest part). Also as stated below, adding a new feature to a github and/or open source project would be a nice way to start.
ascendant
I find that my problem is my perfectionism. I know about the minimum viable product way of thinking, but I start wanting to do the things I do at work, namely spend hours upon hours thinking of requirements and how it will be laid out, etc. I guess I have to retrain myself to think in a more iterative, just-get-something-up-and-running way of thinking.

People have told me that when it comes to webapps, it's all about getting a minimum viable product out there, but when it comes to mobile apps you really need to polish because early bad reviews will haunt your product "forever".

dukecitypal
I am exactly in a similar situation. I just don't know how to focus my attention get things done. I have some great ideas for Iphone apps but it hasn't gone anywhere.
albahk
If you just want to get started on something and see results quickly I recommend making use of an external API so you don't need to have users before it works. For example, use Google maps and some other source of location data (Tweets, Foursquare venues, etc) and mash them together. This will give you plenty of problems to solve and code to write but will also give you results quickly and keep you interested.

Note: I don't recommend building your real app to be reliant on 3rd party API data but its a great way to get a small project started.

Note 2: Regarding ideas to implement, I'm sure someone in your immediate circle of friends complains about something to do with their job so try to fix it. It is actually quite hard to make a useful and usable app to help out people. Hint: it can be ugly as hell as long as it does something useful.

staunch
Create something you truly want to exist so you can use it. Maybe you already have a hobby that could be helped by a piece of software. Don't worry about how crappy or useless the software is at first. Definitely don't worry about making money off it. Just do it to get your soup-to-nuts programming chops up.
jackkinsella
Besides coding what are your interests? Do you like to play Tic-Tac-Toe? Then try replicating it in code with four dimensions instead of two. Do you like finance? Make a video game where you play young Warren Buffet.

Creativity is the collision of two distant ideas. By combining your other interests with your ability to program you will arrive at something original.

Good luck!

bretthardin
What do you develop at your corporation? Is there something about it you can't stand? If you could make it more minimilist, would you?

Start with your job, and move on to your hobbies. Work out from there.

Keep asking yourself, "What is the problem here?"

When you locate the problem, attempt to solve it.

Hope this helps.