A few months ago, while conversing with a group of students and young engineers I mentor, I discovered that most of them hadn’t actually shipped any projects. Despite numerous discussions emphasizing the importance of shipping, virtually none of them had taken action. The count was zero!
I was astonished that they had chosen to ignore this advice when they seemed eager to follow most other suggestions. Then it dawned on me: they lacked a tangible example to draw inspiration from.
ToolBomber was created to demonstrate how to prototype simple ideas in hours, not days.
I aimed to give my mentees a genuine understanding of what they could accomplish with just a few hours of dedication and the skills they already possessed.
Today, attention spans and motivation are severely diminished due to excessive exposure to addictive apps. As a result, long-term commitment to side projects is nearly impossible. I designed the task of building micro-tools to align with this mindset and achieve tangible results without a fundamental change of behaviour; since I don’t think fighting with current high stimulus entertainments is winnable.
Many of the tools we use today, such as Vercel, CDNs, KV stores, and numerous libraries, didn’t exist a decade or two ago. How we can imagine and build today would have looked like magic a few years ago.
Now, with the help of these powerful tools, the first version of an idea can be created in mere hours or even minutes.
The ability to prototype ideas quickly generates an exhilarating rush. The goal is to capitalize on that excitement and maintain the momentum of building.
It has to be fun, to be sustainable.
Most startups have less than a 2% chance of success, and these ideas may have even lower odds. However, the act of shipping something every day transforms the creator.
Many beginners build for the sake of technology, which rarely proves to be a successful strategy. It’s difficult to convince an engineer otherwise unless they experience failure firsthand.
This approach presents an opportunity to fail—fail without consequences—and to do so repeatedly, allowing them to become exceptionally skilled at shipping by the time they discover an idea worth investing significant time.
Spending a few hours to bring an idea to life and see how it works is enjoyable. It’s play. Repeating this process is the simplest way to become proficient at it.
The apps I create with ToolBomber share a similar philosophy. I mostly build them to test new stacks, libraries, or just to experience the thrill of constructing something entertaining.
I write this for those who wish to master the art of shipping. I have established a Telegram group with a small community of shippers to refine their skills and improve. If you’re interested in joining the group and committing to ship, message me on Telegram with one project you have shipped and your dedication to shipping more.
Construct something fun, simple, and perhaps even silly. Don’t overthink the what, how, and why. Just Ship. Share your creations, receive feedback, iterate, and build more. It’s that straightforward.