Most software is simply a fancy spreadsheet or database. It could take you less than an hour to prototype an idea you have. Take the time and make it, if you can. Could you prototype your idea in Google Sheets? You probably can.

BTW, Visicalc is probably the most important app ever made.

Input some information into a spreadsheet and then use sheet2site to make a website from it. Most of the apps or websites you or I use every day are basically lists of data that we typed in. Maybe you’ve always wanted to make a list of the best places to visit in your home city/town: you can do it. You don’t need to know how to code.

If you have some javascript skills, then maybe use Sheetsu and now you have an API to build from. Are you good with React? Then maybe use Scrivito and build some custom widgets to build a fancier website. Or use the awesome Contentful to collect all your information and build an app from that. Knowing how to code means you can get more built in an hour.

Build a landing page to market your idea. Post onto Twitter or Facebook or simply send an iMessage or Whatsapp message to some friends about it. You could use Wufoo to collect feedback and/or payments.

Indie Hackers is a website full of stories of people who’ve created a simple prototype and now have some recurring income from it. Maybe take some time to read a few stories of things that worked and some that didn’t work to help get motivated. Yes, reading about things that didn’t work is motivating. Not everything works out and that is OK. It is, in fact, likely. It’s part of the process.

Replace one TV show or movie and build a prototype instead.

Some people don’t have a spare hour. So, if you do, take an hour of your time and build the prototype of the idea they’ve been telling you about for them. Input some data into a spreadsheet, generate a website, and send them a URL and see what they think. It never hurts to practice building.

What are some tools or tips you have that have helped you try things our or build things quicker?