In my element
Why do I feel more in my element when I build products that don't make money?
So I made UVIndex.SG in a day last week. It’s a free, social good project to help folks in Singapore watch out for the extreme sunny conditions recently.
I felt great shipping it.
It felt nice helping others.
It’s in a simple stack that I love.
Every time I launch a social good product, I come alive. And here’s the weird thing - I feel more alive than when launching a for-profit product.
I feel more in my element when I’m doing work in the social good space (that’s what I’ve been doing all along for the past decade actually). I can sense ‘market’ opportunities aka social gaps quickly and accurately. I can build and ship fast in a weekend. And I thoroughly enjoy every part of the process – building, launching, sharing. I’m totally in the zone.
Everything I aspire to be as an indie hacker, I can do it when building a social good app. But that light is switched off somewhat when I build a for-profit product.
WHYyyyyy…
I don’t know if it’s something wired wrongly inside me or what.
Is it because money taints it?
Or is it because social good industry is my niche (has been since more than a decade) that’s why it comes together so well?
Or is it because this feels like a hobby?
I wished I knew.
Anyone felt this way before?
Charging for something definitely changes the entire dynamic. There's a lingering pressure to provide clear value that doesn't stop.
With free products, there's a sense of creative freedom. Of course the goal is to still provide value, but you're not really constrained in doing so.
I think there is still opportunity to build a for-profit product in this space that gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling, though.
Lots of "Ikigai" vibes from this post! Thanks for sharing, Jason.