I keep hearing that aspiring developers should build something that attracts users to make their resumes stand out. I like the idea, but finding a suitable project feels difficult. Ideally, it would be manageable for one developer, solve a genuine problem, have some kind of advantage over existing tools, and use technologies relevant to the roles I'm applying for.
With so many developers and products already out there, it seems like most obvious ideas have been taken. The remaining opportunities often sound too ambitious for a solo project. For people who have built applications with real users, how did you choose the idea and get started? Is it better to focus on a narrow niche, build something for yourself, or compete with an existing product by improving one specific part?
5 Answers
User growth is a poor measure of programming ability. A product can have excellent engineering and still never find an audience, while marketing and timing can make a mediocre product popular. Build something you enjoy, learn a technology you want to practice, and be ready to explain the design choices and problems you solved. That is usually more relevant to getting hired than raw user counts.
For a portfolio project, one genuine user can be enough—even if that user is you. A tool that has actually been used gives you much more to discuss: how you identified the problem, prioritized features, handled feedback, measured success, and dealt with limitations. It could be a small bot, command-line tool, browser extension, spreadsheet automation, plugin, or hobby-specific utility. If you don’t have an idea, ask a friend, relative, or local business what repetitive task you could make easier.
You don’t need to invent a completely new market or beat every established product. Start with one narrow problem and one core feature. A calculator, visualizer, tracker, or tool for a particular game, hobby, or profession can be a strong project. Existing solutions are not automatically disqualifying; you can focus on a smaller audience or improve one frustrating part of the experience. Choose a stack that supports the project while still letting you demonstrate skills relevant to the jobs you want.
There are really two different goals here: becoming a developer and becoming a founder. Getting users involves customer research, marketing, sales, support, retention, pricing, and plenty of trial and error. Coding and deployment are only part of that process. If your main goal is a strong portfolio, build something useful or interesting that demonstrates your technical decisions instead of trying to launch a full business.
The simplest version of the advice is: build something that solves a problem you personally have or genuinely care about. The more interested you are, the more likely you are to keep refining it and learning from it. Trying to satisfy an imaginary market gap, outperform major products, and check every item in a job description can turn the project into a chore. Find a real person with a specific inconvenience, build a small solution, and show how it evolved from feedback.
Having users isn’t pure luck, but it does depend heavily on marketing, timing, and business execution rather than just the tech stack. Those are separate skills from being a good developer.