Software Developer to Successful Businessman: Here’s How You Can Do It

Being a developer is one thing but turning your profession around by becoming a business is something that not everyone can do. We have many examples in front of us where people like Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs started their career as software developers and then became a businessman by establishing a successful business. These were people of the past who achieved what they wanted, but in today’s world, we have so many online business ideas that experts give in reference to the new-age technologies. Not just this, but the experts also give ideas on how a software developer can build on his idea using the latest technologies.

The list of people who started as a software developer and then turned into successful entrepreneur. They not just changed their fortune but also the way we live today and look at the global landscape. A combination of leadership skills and technical knowledge is truly a holy grail in today’s world. If we see the difference, a person needs to have a completely different set of skills to become a successful software developer when he decides to become a successful businessman. But with the fact that online business is booming with new technologies playing their part, we can say that a small part of both these things can make the difference. If you are confident that both these qualities are inside you, then here is how you can start your journey from a software developer to a business person.

1. Keep customers ahead of products

If you wish to learn- how to become a businessman, there are several case studies and autobiographies written by people. But one thing that you will see common between successful software developers turned business people is that they always strived for bigger. The bigger you think about your work, the better it becomes for you. As a developer, you might have worked on several small projects and would have coded many programs. It is a good way to start your career. But when you choose to start your business, your thinking defines the success ratio. As a developer, when you were creating a product, you know every aspect of it. But on the other hand, when you need to deal with customers, you need to tweak your thinking. You need to understand how people think before buying a product or service.

As a developer, you need to care about your product, but as an entrepreneur, you will have to think about your customers before thinking about your product. This is true because you can’t invest in a product first and then check whether it is in demand or not. This might look like an obvious point, but many people make this mistake initially.

2. Passion and focus

You became a software developer because you wanted to be. But only your ‘want’ is not a parameter that can suffice your business’s desires. The mantra of how to become a successful businessman lies in your perseverance. It is one of the most essential and common traits that you will find in every successful entrepreneur. As a developer or even as a software engineer freelancer, you have to think straight and logically to get your results. The case is completely opposite in business. There are times when people do all the right things, they meet with the right people, have all the right tools, yet all they get is a failure. So, you should be prepared for a time like this, and when it approaches, you should be determined and affirmative.

To get started, you need to be passionate about your company and excited about your work. Even after getting countless rejections, setbacks and negative replies, you still have to show your perseverance and find out a way through all this. Several businesses fall either due to wrong decisions, or they were too early to quit. Make sure you read the market well and stay as long as you can.

3. Have a strong network

Another very important thing that a successful businessman always keeps in mind is to have a strong network. You might have the skill, you might possess a lot of potentials, but if you aren’t able to showcase it in front of anybody, then it’s simply a waste. This is the reason why having a strong network is very important for a person. The people you know are the ones who will give or help you get business. Be it a software engineer business or something else, your network is all that matters (apart from the knowledge, obviously). In other words, if you want to take your business to new heights, you need to be a skilled business networker.

Imagine a situation where you have framed an entire module, and it's a really good one. But when you call people for investment, they simply refuse to pick up your phone. At times like these, a person with a strong network always enjoys an upper hand.

4. Create good strategies

In the business world, it is often said that if one cannot express his/her entire business module on a single A4 size sheet, he/she lacks in research. If you too are failing in this, check other similar online businesses and take cues from them. Understand their strengths and the nature of the market. As an entrepreneur, it is very important to have critical analysis and thinking skills. So, get on with your strategy, create something interesting and present it in the best way possible. You can always take the help of experts and know if you are missing out on something. Make sure to include the solutions your product is giving to the commoner. So, once you are done with all these steps, you will now have a strategy as well as a plan to smoothly execute your business’s functioning.

5. Create a good team

Everything comes down to this! The way you started working in an organisation with a team, you would also need a handful of trusted aliases for your initial setup. You need to put together different quality people and work along with each other. The better your team, the better output you get. A developer in your team will help develop the products, whereas the marketer will create a strategy to put that product on the market in the best way possible. Even if you connect with experts and ask them for online business ideas, the first question they will ask is about your team.

Conclusion

Every year several entrepreneurs come up with different and innovative ideas in the market. But those who keep churning themselves in the market get to taste the success. The points given in the article are a few initials that need to be done right. If you wish to become a successful businessman, you need to follow them and add more good points to the list by understanding your business.

Also read:

1) Should You Lease or Buy Equipment for Your Small Business or Startup?
2) Business Ideas: 8 businesses you can start from home easily
3) PoS Machine: Types, Benefits for small businesses & more
4) All About Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)
5) OkCredit: All you need to know about OkCredit & how it works.

FAQs

Q. Is having a team really necessary?

Ans. Now everything cannot be done by a single person. The more brains you will have working for you, the better it will be for your business. So it is always good to have a small team but with different areas of expertise. It will help you in covering different aspects quickly.

Q. Can you suggest the most important thing before starting a business?

Ans. Be it a product or service, the most important thing for any business is its customers. You have to think about your customers first. See if your product is helping them in some way. Try to read, analyse and judge the future of the market and then decide your product.

Q. What if I fail in my first attempt?

Ans. If you think you will succeed in your first attempt, then it is very unlikely. The market is filled with bright minds rigorously trying to make an impact. So, even if you fail in your first attempt, do not lose hope. You should keep trying different ways and hold your ground for the long run.