You have taken React/Redux tutorials and feel you know most of the basics.

You are now ready to take the next step, but what is the next step? Taking yet another tutorial? Write another TODO-app? Pay for a “mastering React” course?

Find a problem and solve it

Following tutorials and taking courses are great ways to get started and can be really useful when you want to solve a specific problem. But you didn’t start learning React just to follow tutorials for the rest of your life, did you?

No. You wanted to be able to build something. So that you can get that new job. Or take that next step in your career.

And the best way to learn how to build something is to…well, just start building something.

How to pick what to work on

The purpose of software is to make lives better and solve real-world problems. There are a million things that can be improved in the world, what should you pick? I suggest starting by solving your own problems! Think about what things annoy you in your everyday life. What can be automated?

Many of the services you use have APIs. You can write apps that improve the tools/services you already use today!

I have gathered a list of 8 APIs to inspire you!

All of these could be great portfolios when applying for jobs! Especially if you open source it and put it on github.

1. Slack

You are most likely using Slack to talk to friends/colleagues/family. Maybe you have thought “if only we had a bot that could do X”. Well, you can get that bot. Just code it! This one might not require React development but you will get a chance to improve your JavaScript skills!

2. Home automation

This is something that is high up on my want-to-do-list! Control your whole house/apartment from a web portal that you have written!

3. Maps

Did you know Google maps has an API? You can create overlays with your own content. Examples: Best local swimming places. Places they serve good vegetarian food. Stores that accept your favorite cryptocurrency as a payment method.

4. Cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrencies/blockchain is a hot topic! You might want to get an overview of your holdings. Automate a way to calculate how much taxes to pay. A new, and better-looking price ticker. Or a trading bot?

5. Music

Do you like music? You could create a tool to create playlist. Or why not create your own fully working spotify client?

6. Your local services

I live in Norway and I use kolonial.no to buy my groceries online. I am working on a recipe-database that automatically orders the ingredients from kolonial.no through their API. You probably have a local service you use that has an API!

Your local service (groceries, online shopping, hairdresser, etc)

7. Backend

Have you coded your frontend and realize you need a simple backend for storing API tokens or other sensitive stuff? Did you know you can deploy a node function to Amazon super simply? It’s called Amazon lambdas:

8. Your idea

Everyone has that brilliant startup idea. Why not start working on a super simple MVP of it right now? Maybe it will become the next Facebook?

Start now!

Pick one idea and start pursuing it today. Set up a new project and start to code! :)