Is it now possible for a single programmer to make a successful software/app?

 

It has always been possible for a single programmer to make a successful piece of software, depending on exactly how you define ‘successful’. In some ways, it is easier now, at least, if you don’t count the time other programmers spent developing the tools, libraries, and frameworks that you’ll likely be using to avoid having to reinvent the wheel.

The main question here is how one defines ‘success’. I’ve written programs that did exactly what the person or people who were going to use them needed, but that never earned any significant amount of money (or any money in some cases; they were used by other people at my company). I’d say those were successful; they did what they were intended to do and produced what the users wanted. However, if you are defining ‘success’ as being a major moneymaker, then they won’t count.

It is hard to create software that all by itself generates a lot of money. That’s true for teams of developers and it is true for individual developers. Some games manage it, but video games require lots of time and effort, and a lot of different skills. Even for a team, they can take years; for an individual, the odds are that something better will be developed by a team long before the single developer can get anything to market. That’s true of any large, complex application

Programs small enough for a single developer to produce in a reasonable time aren’t going to earn a whole lot per individual sale. For such to be a monetary success, it will have to be popular enough to get many thousands, if not millions, of users. It will have to be good enough for people to be willing to pay a fee to get it, rather than looking for something free. It also has to stay ahead of the competition long enough to generate all of those sales. It isn’t likely.