I’m an Ideas Person

I spent a bit of time yesterday checking out some blogs I haven’t read in awhile and I came across a post over at Self Made Minds (which is an excellent blog and should be read by one and all) about what sorts of people are attempting to make money online.

He basically breaks it down into four main types of people:

• The Ideas Person
• The Backend Coder or Programmer
• The Marketer
• The Opportunist

I would definitely say I’m an Ideas Person. I’m rarely short of ideas… although whether or not they’re good ones is up for debate! Having lots of ideas is great for the little sites but it can be really frustrating when I want to do something a bit more complicated. Without any background in programming I can’t implement most of my grander schemes without someone else’s help. This does give the option of outsourcing but not understanding how my own site works would be a bit annoying, I’m sure. So far I’ve kept things on my sites pretty simple because of this lack of behind the scenes knowledge. But then again it’s a lot easier to buy a programmer’s time than it is to buy a good idea.

Despite my lack of programming knowledge I’m still hopeful that, given enough time, I’ll be able to teach myself some of the backend type stuff. I’ll never be able to whip up amazing applications or hugely interactive websites no matter how many books I read or how long I stare blankly at my computer screen. It would be nice to learn enough though for it to make enough sense to me so that I’m less afraid to tinker with things. Programmer types are lucky because, even if their websites flop, they can still sell their services and work from anywhere for a good wage.

I’m no master marketer but I’m sure if I made a concerted effort to market my sites I’d do ok but never come up with anything great. It really is an eye opener when I come across a site that is obviously well marketed. I think this is something that can be learned with time, a bit of trial and error and by watching the masters at work but it still takes a certain instinct that I’m not sure I have.

I think the opportunist is an interesting one. I’ve always begrudged those people who buy stacks of domains and then park them only to sell them on later. I don’t have the foresight to be able to come up with the next big thing and am happy working hard on my sites without keeping on top of the next major money making manoeuvre. I sort of see this group as the ones doing dodgy deals in the back alleys but fair play to anyone who can pull it off.

The post has made me wonder how many of the success stories out there come from people who are the complete package and how many have to bring other people on board to compliment their own skills. I think that knowing where your weaknesses lie and when to ask for help is important.

So… which one are you? Are there any programmers out there who want to team up and take over the world with me?