New Year's Resolutions for Product Developers

1. Never develop a product until you know who the customers will be

2. Never develop a product until you know what customers are willing to pay for the product

3. Never develop a product until you have a way to take orders for the product

4. Never develop a product until you factor in the cost to support the product

5. Always 'run the numbers' to determine if the project can be profitable - before you start

6. Always avoid complicated projects or projects that require a number of people to accomplish a number of tasks

7. Always look for the project with the highest chance of success and the least risk

8. Always start the project with the right tools required to finish the project

9. Never do it 'just for the money'

10. Never release a product until it is complete

11. Never short change your customers, always give them more than they expect

12. Be patient, stick with a project long enough for it to work

13. Never pin all your future revenue goals on just one project

14. Diversify and include many 'auto-pilot' revenue streams in your product mix

15. Never forget that your health, your family and your soul are more important than your work