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Well done, there's a lot other hackers can learn from this:

1. Release it - too many programmers have a half-baked idea, or end up with a half-baked implementation. They start out all fired up, but don't have the stamina to see the product released to market.

2. Building stuff is great for job hunting. I can almost guarantee that this guy will get an internship out of this. He clearly has two features in great demand: programming ability, and gets stuff done. This product is far more attractive than a resume full of IT buzzwords. As long as he's not a prick in the interview, he'll get hired.

3. Focus your product on a niche. This minimises the work needed to get to market, and makes it easy to position your product as number one in the eyes of your potential customer. I haven't installed this app, but I bet it is better - and seen to be better - than any other app for browsing Hacker News (Safari included).

4. Charge a price for your product. This is where the rubber meets the road, where you discover that software development is much more than programming. Ignore the people wanting it for free and cater to those willing to pay. Play around and see how price changes affect revenue. Even if you later decide to make it free, a product that goes from $5 to zero 'feels' like a better product than something that started out free - classic 'anchoring' psychology.




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