Jason shares that he is constantly reading about the tools he uses (ex. When you are working solo, it’s more important than ever to stay up-to-date on the latest trends. Having a nice layout and colors also makes your extension more palatable to a broader audience. “Search indexing is very important,” Jason shares. However, he later realized that marketing and design played a key role in the success of his extensions. Jason describes himself as a typical developer who thought functionality first, design second.
He paid equal attention to building a tool that he would want to use himself and what his users were asking for. While Jason acknowledges that timing played a key role in the success of his Screenshot app due to a hole in the marketplace, he paid close attention to user feedback. “Listen to your users and their feedback” Embracing the Freelance LifeĪfter seeing the traction that his screenshot project generated, Jason started thinking about how he could make this his full-time gig. While many a developer daydreams about starting his or her own business, Jason emphasized that the process took years and many weeks working “over 40 hours.” Here are a few tips that he has for anyone looking to make the jump. After all, he supports himself with the five Chrome extensions that he has built! Since the Chrome APIs rely on five-week development cycles, he constantly checks on announcements from Google’s blogs to make sure his product is up-to-date. Jason emphasized how much his business relies on Google Chrome’s APIs.
You can test it yourself by signing up for the limited free BASIC plan. The Imgur API allows his users to upload their screenshots to a website through the Chrome extension directly. He particularly liked the way that RapidAPI allowed him to browse and test multiple APIs before settling on the one that met his needs. After some browsing, he settled on the Imgur API because, in his words, “it was the strongest API” in that category. Enter the APIsįirst, Jason wanted to find an API that would allow his users to upload images online easily. He built this tool for his own use and, after sharing it with a few colleagues, starting adding more features. He came up with the idea while working at a Telecommunications company, before making the transition to a full-time freelance developer (more on that in a bit). The Explain & Send Screenshots extension is actually Jason’s second Chrome extension. We spoke with the extension’s creator Jason Savard, about building this tool, using RapidAPI and advice for freelance developers. It’s not just me who likes it - the extension currently has 84,000 users! Check out the demo below:
The interface is clean and it doesn’t require permissions. This tool lets you capture screenshots and annotate them all within the browser. Enter the Explain & Send Screenshots Google Chrome extension. I didn’t realize how much this inefficient process bothered me until I found an infinitely simpler solution. I upload the edited image to Imgur or email to share. I add various arrows, text or shape annotations. I hit the keyboard shortcut on my computer. Like most people who write for the internet, I find myself constantly taking screenshots.