FollowRoad.One - free and open-source

I decided to open the source code of FollowRoad.One (a simple Twitter follower tracker) and make it entirely free. It is the first project on my recently started journey of 1001 projects, and I want to experiment with it as much as possible.

I could write that I want to be generous, but I reflected and discovered three fundamental reasons to make the project free and open-source:

1. Self-promotion;
2. To acquire practical skills faster;
3. It solves only my problems for now.

Self-promotion

I do not have any credibility — nobody knows me. Helping others is one of the best ways to make new friends and gain credibility.

By the way, help does not have to be free. You can help in exchange for money. But for me, it is easier now, just build and give for free without asking anything in exchange.

Why I want to promote myself is another question I have not reflected on yet. Vanity?

Skills boost

I do not know how to build products that people love and pay for. I assume that making a free and open-source product might help me gain skills in communication with customers and problem-solving. And later, I can convert these skills into something that will put bread on the table for my family.

I want to ship daily to feel accomplished. And the project without any obligations which I can infinitely improve is a perfect playing field to constantly ship.

Only I need it for now

I build the project to solve my problems. I like to play with numbers, and my current Twitter account is an excellent place to analyze what happens.

So, that’s why I am not sad if nobody cares and won’t use the project. But if somebody wants and uses it, I am happy.

Monthly expenses

For now, it costs me $17 monthly to support the project (a server and a database). As far as I use the project, it is not a problem for me.

If it grows, I can continuously optimize it and reduce expenses.

You are welcome

Thank you for reading. If you have any feedback on my thought process or journey, I am happy to hear and discuss it.

But, please, do not judge the code for now. I know how shitty it is. I will improve it gradually.

I am open if you want to help with the project itself or propose features.