Why aren't all coders making million dollar apps?

There comes a point in a coder's life where they become self sufficient. Where they understand the object-oriented method, they understand the basic principles of software development, and where they understand the basic principles of web development. They get to a point where they understand code, and how it works. They learn to think like a computer, and they learn how to interact with a computer.



And so, with all of the money-making games, apps, and software out there, what is it that's stopping these coders from making millions? In a few words: time and energy.




Most programmers who enter the industry do so to work a 9-5 job, being paid to show up in the morning, carry out a few coding tasks throughout the day, punch the clock, and then head home. Working for an established business that pays a living wage is one of the most reliable ways to survive as a coder, and that's how many get their entry into the business world.



These self-sufficient coders with significant skills, working for a business, given enough time and energy, could make anything they wanted to. Information on how to build most of what the imagination can conjure exists on the internet, and so theoretically, the sky is the limit. But when one needs to spend 8 hours a day in heavy mental activity just to put a roof over one's head, and food on one's plate, it becomes difficult to attain the "sky" that one's abilities offer.



Surprisingly, intense mental activity can be exhausting, and it can be difficult to carry on consistently for long periods of time. After work is done, it becomes quite a task to continue staring at a computer and doing more of what one has already spent all day doing. Not only that, but it is even more difficult to do that for as long as it takes to build a piece of workable, money-making software. Factor in family, friends, and pursuits outside of the world of information technology, and the task gets that much harder.



And so for many, programming is a 9-5 job. With the right incentives, coding day in and day out isn't so bad. But when it becomes an all consuming process, things get much more difficult.
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