Steps to building a successful project #1

[sniko]

Introduction...

You want to build a big project, and become successful, like everyone. So, the number 1 thing to do is invest time. Building a successful project is not an overnight thing, or instant, it all takes time. Some may argue that you need to 'spend money to make money', this statement is actually not entirely true, here is why;

 

Take a project that has become a global sensation, especially since Friday, being valued at over £100Billion. Mark Z., when creating Facebook, was in debt, from server bills by something like £100 per month, and by his friends lending him money to pay the bills. A few years later, one of the richest people on Earth.

 

I may contradict myself by saying that you need to pay for things for people to access it, for example; an internet connection, computer, server. But all that is pennies in reality, say, £1,000 a year, give or take.

 

What do I need?

A list of primary things you need to become successful

• Time
  
• Passion
  
• Motivation
  
• An Idea
  
• Basic Equipment
  
• Patience
  

 

Time

Time is a very valuable commodity that most people overlook, because they have their whole life ahead of them, but think about time differently, here;

* There are 24 hours in a day. Fact.

* You sleep, 10 hours a day, that gives you 14 hours left.

* You eat, and procrastinate for, say, 3 hours a day. You have 11 hours left.

! You've 'wasted' over half a day, and you haven't even made an attempt to become successful today, and it all mounts up.

 

"I'll take a day off today"

Each day you take off, it takes you 1 day longer to get where you would be.

 

Think of it as this

Think of your project as you're building a wall, and it takes 300 bricks to make this wall, and treat each day as - metaphorically - as you are placing (to the best of your ability) 1 brick to that wall. I say "to the best of your ability" as you wouldn't slack to become successful, would you?

 

Now you have this day - brick - and you're trying to place this 'brick' to build this 'wall' - remember, metaphorically - the very best you can, with nothing out of place, to make this 'wall' look spectacular. Today, you have this 'brick', how will you place it to build this 'wall'?

 

Read Section #2

 

Reviews?

 

This is all theory, I haven't put any of this in real practice, for the simple reason of time.

Edited May 22, 2012 by sniko

[ColdBlooded]

Once again, a very inspirational thread content. It's very effective when you compile the theories into a thread like this. Looking forward to Section 2.

Cheers.

[Guest]

I never thought of time like that, but i surpose even though i sleep for like 3 hours some days i will sleep for 16 so it kinda balances out. Looking forward to the rest of it :)

[Coly010]

Great Thread, great timing too as I'm starting a biggish project :P thanks

[Nickson]

It's a good thread. It certainly shows that time is a valuable but difficult thing to control. Good time management skills are hard to find. And you've forgotten to add the hours you work or study (I suppose this is the case for most people). You've also left out any other hobby or sports you might take part in. So let's make a more calculated example, based on what a person might be able to work on their ideas. I hope I can shed a little bit more details on this "time management".

A week consists out of 7 days, 24hours a day, which equals 168hours to spend on basically everything you do.

* You sleep 7days a week, 8hours on average, this equals 56hours.

* Lets say that your personal & household (washing, eating, cleaning, cooking, shopping, traveling ...) tasks take up to 5h a day, 7 days a week. Equals 35h a week.

* You work or study (your real job, go to school, educational tasks, ...) 5days a week, 8hours a day. This equals 40hours a week.

Till this point, I think everything is the same for us all, unless you're married to a great person, or are unemployed.

168 - ( 56 + 35 + 40) = 37

37h left, actually just enough to take on a second job if you can cut back some time here or there, but then your week would be fully booked. But let us assume that you do not have a second job, and rather work on your hobby / project instead while still maintaining a social life.

So it doesn't stop there!

* Going to the pub -3h

* 2x practice a week + matchday, -10h

24h left of that whole week that can be spend on working on that project.

And now, you can start to procrastinate ;)

#note: These are times estimated, they might be different for each person. I just wanted to show that there is more than what sniko has listed and that you should try to take them all into account when thinking about "how much time do I have or will I need?" It might not be motivational, but you should have a clear look on how much time you can spend on your project. Thinking you can work for 75h each week on it, and then realizing you're getting nowhere because you can only work for 20hours on the project, is much more of a motivation killer.