Maciej Ceglowski - Barely succeed! It's easier!

Maciej Cegłowski argues that small teams and lone programmers can build sustainable, successful software businesses without chasing the Silicon Valley venture capital model.

We live in a remarkable time when small teams (or even lone programmers) can successfully compete against internet giants. But while the last few years have seen an explosion of product ideas, there has been far less innovation in how to actually build a business. Silicon Valley is stuck in an outdated 'grow or die' mentality that overvalues risk, while investors dismiss sustainable, interesting projects for being too practical. So who needs investors anyway? I'll talk about some alternative definitions of success that are more achievable (and more fun!) than the Silicon Valley casino. It turns out that staying small offers some surprising advantages, not just in the day-to-day experience of work, but in marketing and getting customers to love your project. Best of all, there's plenty more room at the bottom. If your goal is to do meaningful work you love, you may be much closer to realizing your dreams than you think.