Latest news with #developer
Entrepreneur
15 hours ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Caught Off Guard? You May Have Found Your Next Big Idea
Surprise isn't just a fleeting emotion; it's a signal that something's been overlooked. And for entrepreneurs, those moments — if you know how to pay attention — can be the starting point of something big. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Being an entrepreneur means experiencing a range of emotions, sometimes in quick succession: there's frustration, inspiration, exhaustion, glee, satisfaction, anger, excitement, despair — to name a few. It's a rollercoaster. Success hinges on being able to manage those feelings, and not letting them unbalance the even keel needed to keep going through the highs and lows. But there is one emotion I always make a special note of, every time I feel it: surprise. Surprise is what prompted me to start my company, Jotform. It was 2005, and I was working as a developer at a New York media company, coding custom web forms for editors who needed them quickly. One day, after building yet another nearly identical form, I did what any burned-out developer would do — I searched for a tool to make the process easier. That search turned up nothing, and there it was: surprise. Could it possibly be that such a tool didn't exist? It didn't. And that's when I knew I had a good idea on my hands. Over time, I came to understand that surprise isn't just a fleeting emotion. It's a signal. Evidence that something's been overlooked, or that an assumption that seemed widely accepted might, in fact, be wrong. And for entrepreneurs, those moments — if you know how to pay attention — can be the starting point of something big. Related: 70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025 When surprise strikes When something surprises me, I don't brush it off — I investigate. I've learned that those unexpected moments often contain more insight than hours of brainstorming. If you stumble on an idea, the next step is to build a minimum viable product, or MVP, and get it into users' hands as soon as possible. Obviously, not every surprise will lead to a product — a lot of MVPs end up dead in the water, which is why I advise building them quickly. But the practice of noticing and reflecting on the unexpected builds a kind of mental radar, one that keeps you alert to opportunities others miss. The same is also true for less pleasant surprises. I once had a Jotform customer — a well-known brand — ask me to send a salesperson to their office to learn more about our other products. I was completely caught off guard. Salespeople? We had no salespeople. Until that point, Jotform had been entirely self-service. I was so stunned that I sent no one, and didn't go myself, either. Surprise! We lost the client to a competitor, one that had a sales team. But that moment stayed with me and became the impetus to build Jotform Enterprise, which today is growing so quickly it will surpass our self-service version within a few years. Surprises like these, pleasant or otherwise, are rarely random. They test assumptions and expose blind spots. And if you're paying attention, they can reveal what should come next. Systematizing surprise You can't plan for a surprise, obviously, but you can get better at spotting it. Over the years, I've learned to build what I think of as a "surprise radar:" a system that keeps me tuned in to the unexpected, even in the most ordinary moments. The first step for me is to always stay curious, even — or perhaps especially — when doing routine tasks. It can be easy during these times to switch off your critical thinking brain. But those are often the best moments to notice inefficiencies or strange patterns. Why does this process take so long? Why do we always do it this way? This way of thinking is what's called a beginner's mindset, and it can be tough to adopt if you are not a beginner in your field. Once we've gained enough knowledge in a given area, our brains forge shortcuts that, while timesaving, also reduce our capacity for surprise. It becomes easy to stop questioning how things are done. Related: The Accidental Entrepreneur: 3 Tales of Entrepreneurial 'Eureka' Moments One strategy to keep your brain from slipping into autopilot is to conduct a time audit, which can help you figure out where you're sinking your precious time. There are plenty of different platforms for this, like Reclaim or Toggl, but what matters is that you can clearly understand what tasks are taking up too much of your day. From there, search for automation or AI tools that can relieve the burden for you. If it's been a few months since your last search, do it again — AI technology is evolving rapidly, and options that may not have existed just last week may well exist now. If you're still coming up short, consider this a potential opportunity. Someone will probably fill this void eventually. Why not you? It's also critical to get outside of your comfort zone. Read books and articles on topics seemingly unrelated to your job. Talk to people in different industries, with different expertise or whose ideas don't align with your own. Will this be uncomfortable? Sure. But that's the point. Surprise exists at the edge of expectations, just outside of what you thought you knew. If you only stick to the familiar, you'll rarely be surprised. And without surprise, innovation is unlikely. The more you train yourself to notice the unexpected, the more you'll start seeing it not as a disruption, but as a guide.
The Verge
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Genshin Impact is too demanding for the PS4.
Posted Aug 6, 2025 at 9:52 AM UTC Genshin Impact is too demanding for the PS4. Developer HoYoverse is ending support for the game, which will leave the PlayStation store next month and stop working entirely next April. The devs blamed 'limitations related to hardware performance and platform application size.' Fortunately, Genshin Impact will remain playable on more powerful hardware like the PS5 and, um, your phone. Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates. Dominic Preston Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Dominic Preston Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Gaming Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All PlayStation
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
‘Where's the school, kindergarten?': Anwar grills Cheras Madani housing project developer over missing infrastructure in launch plan
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today questioned the developer of the Residensi Aman Lumayan Madani housing project in Cheras over the absence of key public facilities, questioning why a school and kindergarten were not included in the development plan. Speaking at the project's groundbreaking ceremony, Anwar stressed that all large-scale housing developments — particularly those with more than 3,500 units — must include essential amenities, especially education facilities within close proximity. 'I want to change the approach for this launch by asking a few questions,' he said. 'For all housing projects, my instructions are clear — all large-scale housing developments, especially those with 3,500 units or more, must include school infrastructure. 'The school must be nearby. Is there one? A primary or secondary school?' He said if there were no schools in the area, one of the blocks should be repurposed into a vertical school with a dedicated lift. Anwar added that while one block of the project can proceed, another should be deferred until all conditions are met. He also questioned whether the project had adequate space for a kindergarten, pointing out that many urban families earning RM2,000 or RM3,000 a month were forced to send their children to kindergartens located kilometres away. 'I've already instructed that kindergartens must be located within the building itself. If they're already there, good. If not, it must be rectified,' he said. He then ordered the developer, mayor and relevant parties to meet him next Monday to present the project's updated layout. 'It won't take long, 10 minutes. Show me where the school is, where the kindergarten is, where the pre-school area is, and where the healthcare facility block is. 'All of that must be in place. That's why planning officers need to understand what the Madani framework really means,' he said. MORE TO COME
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Country Garden Seeks Delay of Wind-Up Case to Later This Year
Country Garden Holdings Co. plans to ask Hong Kong's High Court to delay its liquidation case until later this year, people familiar with the matter said, a move that would give the Chinese developer more time to work on its restructuring. The company intends to apply for the adjournment this week and will need its creditors to provide a letter of support for the schedule change, according to the people.
Independent Singapore
4 days ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
‘Don't skimp on soft skills': Singaporean highlights key to staying competitive in today's job market
SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man recently shared his views on why many young job seekers are struggling in today's competitive job market. In his post on the r/SingaporeRaw subreddit, he said that a lot of locals nowadays focus too much on developing their hard skills while completely ignoring their soft skills. This, he believes, is costing them valuable professional opportunities. 'If you are currently a developer, for example, being technically skilled and kicking ass at LeetCode is, frankly speaking, going to get you nowhere,' he said. 'Let's be honest, you are never going to outbid the foreigner with your technical abilities if what both of you generate is a static output.' He then encouraged young locals to improve their communication skills by speaking more clearly, softening strong or unclear accents, and strengthening their bilingual abilities. Picking up a third language, he said, could also give them a competitive edge, especially in client-facing roles or global companies. He added, 'Learning how to hold a conversation and being good with people will reward you far better with regard to your future career path.' See also 8 soft skills that can make you rich — for life '[And] present yourself more confidently, even if you have to fake it. Do these things well and target more client-facing-oriented jobs. Since these roles essentially represent the face of the company, they are much less incentivized to let a foreigner do them. Don't skimp on soft skills.' 'Singaporeans should not be forced to compete with the entire world for jobs in their own country.' His post sparked a lively discussion among Reddit users, many of whom agreed that soft skills remain undervalued in both Singapore's education system and its professional landscape. One user, who shared that they've worked for over 20 years across small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and multinational corporations (MNCs), said, 'I totally agree with you. The problem, unfortunately, is that soft skills aren't something that is easily and readily learnable in a pinch,' they wrote. 'Sure, if you make a conscious effort, you can get better at it, but the best way to cultivate it is from young, while children are at school and learning to interact with their peers and teachers. Too bad MOE (Ministry of Education) only chooses to focus on technical skills, which, as you pointed out, will always be a race to the bottom when comparing with our other Asian neighbours.' Another commented, 'Yup—there's always someone who can do hard skills for less money in Vietnam or India. Yes, people may argue that it may likely be of less quality, but that doesn't matter—if a company can hire five people in country X for the same price as one person in SG, then they'll go with the five.' However, not everyone was on board with this line of thinking. Some users pushed back against the idea that Singaporeans need to constantly adapt just to keep up. One wrote, 'Sorry, but Singaporeans should not be forced to compete with the entire world for jobs in their own country. I am against the current trend of cheapening labour (and hence people) and voted accordingly in the recent election.' In other news, a local employer took to social media to express her frustration after discovering that her domestic helper had been spending most of her time on social media instead of fulfilling her duties at home. Posting anonymously in the Facebook group 'Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid/Domestic Helper' on Tuesday (July 29), the woman shared that she had reviewed footage from her home's CCTV system and was shocked by what she saw. Read more: 'What to do? Please help' — Employer frustrated after learning maid spends 80% of her time on social media
