Reflection

I have come to the end of my two week project so I would like to take this post to reflect on what I have learned.
1. Nothing is what it seems. Even tasks we can do easily by hand are complex to program.
2. Programming Apps is all about building, checking and rebuilding until the final product is satisfactory.
3. Take breaks while working. Ideas sometimes come while one is eating lunch.
4. DO RESEARCH!
5. Look around, anything can be the inspiration for an app.
6. Sometimes it's ok to move on when a problem is particularly troubling. It is important to feel productive and not get discouraged.
7. Programming apps is difficult. Don't underestimate the effort it will take.
8. There is always more than one way to approach a problem. Ask friends and colleagues about how they would solve the problem.
9. If you want to be an app designer, don't go half way. Learn how to program. If you discover you hate programming then find a partner that writes code, but doesn't have app ideas. But understanding the limitations of programming will help you have realistic ideas.
10. HAVE FUN! Don't make apps to get rich, make apps to improve lives and have fun.

While there are many other things I learned (like marketing an app), these are the highlights. I have enjoyed finding 2000 ways not to make an app. Part of this project helped me discover that being an app inventor doesn't mean every idea or program is successful. Being an inventor means taking risks and trying new things. Inventors must hope for success and not be discouraged but failure. Ultimately, we need people who are willing to take risks. Without risk takers, there would be no invention. That is the most important lesson of all.