
I burned 6–7 months paying an overseas dev—and the app still wasn’t meeting grant milestones.
In September I realized: learn JavaScript in a couple months, or lose the grant in December.
A grant-funded app project forced me to learn how to code after months of work from an overseas developer still wasn’t aligning with the grant’s guidelines and milestones. With a September wake-up call and a December deadline, I had to learn JavaScript fast—at least enough to finish what was needed and validate the deliverables.
- Used grant funding to hire an overseas developer
- Set a goal to learn enough coding to judge whether the work met grant milestones
- Realized the deliverables weren’t matching the grant’s guidelines
- Lost roughly 6–7 months trying to get the app finished
- The app involved socks you can scan, NFTs, and ownership verification
- Games were planned later, after the core scanning/verification piece
- Hit an “oh sh*t” moment in September with the grant expiring in December
- Committed to learning JavaScript in a couple months to avoid losing the grant
Watch next:
- Lost Generation | Are we the new Hemingway era of Creatives?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyjquEFDVpc
- Ambition without Aim: Why Creators Crash and Burn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGctsD16_7w
- Vegeta's delusions are the secret to his insane work ethic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbbEo_KTw5Q
- Delusions of Grandeur vs. Impostor Syndrome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISSBzQIkXyk
Playlists:
- Driven to Create Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyjquEFDVpc&list=PLm_X9BbBBS12vhz7L4yrRPDfQ_2eF2MQt
Connect with us:
- Medium: https://medium.com/@paulmelluzzo
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/01wAW1GbLms8bu1atrds9K
- Website: https://www.paulmelluzzo.com/podcast
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/driventocreate_podcast/
- Inquiries: https://driventocreatepodcast@gmail.com
#JavaScript #LearnToCode #IndieDev

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Paul is focusing on the intersection of technology and creativity. He is a partner at Epicly AI, an AI-powered platform for creating engaging digital content and a Creative Director at Omnislash Visual, a visual branding and design studio.