Just build it: Interview with Nick Paulson
Meet Nick Paulson, a software developer from Rochester, New York. We had some time to speak with Nick about CloudApp, his future job at Square and of course, himself.
Tell us a little bit about yourself, Nick
I’m an 18-year-old Cocoa developer living in Upstate New York. I love everything Objective-C, but I’m also obsessed with design and pixel perfection.
When did you begin developing for the iPhone and Mac?
Well, if you want to call Applescript “developing” then I started probably 4.5 years ago with simple Applescripts. That evolved into Objective-C through the awesome Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X book by Aaron Hillegass.
When did you begin work on CloudApp?
We began working on Cloud just over 2 years ago, roughly. Back then it was a project with @mschoening and I, and over time we added more and more people to the project to help contribute to what it has become today.
What sparked the interest in creating a client that would revolutionize the idea of file sharing on the web?
It started off as a simple tool for @mschoening and I to share screenshots and mockups in Photoshop. We wanted it to be quick, simple, and work with a hotkey. Eventually it became a workable app, and we sent it to a few friends who we thought would like it. Turns out that they liked it more than we expected, and came back with feature requests. CloudApp became part of our workflow, and part of our friend’s, so we started building.
I see some competition in this market. Do you have any tricks up your sleeve to ensure you continue to beat other services that may come out in the future that do the same thing?
At CloudApp, our mantra is to add what we love, and hope that our users love it too. While we always have ideas on how to make things better, we take the “Apple approach” and do what we think is best, without focusing on our competition.
Congratulations on your internship at Square! What are you most excited about while working there?
I’m really excited to be working on a product that has a deep, low-level piece, along with a beautiful higher-level piece. The interaction with the reader is fascinating, and the designs are pixel perfect. Square is a fantastic product that I’m proud to have the ability to contribute to.
Do you have a “dream job?”
Honestly? I love what I’m doing now. It would be awesome to live in San Francisco and work on an awesome product there, but only time will tell what will happen in reality.
Where do you see yourself, CloudApp and your future work in 5 years?
I see myself evolving as a developer, designer, and overall, a thinker. As for CloudApp, I want it to gain motion and become the de-facto sharing service for files and links of all types. Finally, as for my work, I don’t really know. It’s really hard to know what is coming up in the next week, let alone five years from now. I just hope I’m loving my work, and enjoying my life.
Any tips for aspiring entrepreneurs and developers like yourself?
Stop thinking about positions, funding, or offices, and just build the product. You will only get so far without a working product ready to demo, share, or release. Build, iterate, and repeat. It’s a never-ending cycle. Learn to love it, and you’ll be set on all of your endeavors.
Thanks for your time Nick! You are a true example of the term “age is but a number.”
http://www.twitter.com/nckplsn
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