That is the answer to why I decided Ideal Project Group should have an internal project and develop a product of our own. Now, this is a small step in a slightly different direction than I had originally anticipated; that I would focus solely on providing project management. In fact, the home page of my website says this:

Because we focus exclusively on Project Management, our incentives are exactly aligned with yours. We’re not trying to up-sell you on consulting, market analysis, or any other business services. Our only goal, and the only reason we’re in business, is to successfully manage your projects and deliver the desired results.

Then, in the "About" Section of my website, I say this:

Ideal Project Group LLC specializes in, and our only business is, Project Management. We do not and will not employ developers, business consultants, or any other myriad of professional services. Our only business is your projects.

The point in these statements was that I wouldn't be trying to up-sell customers an additional service. That Ideal Project Group could always be counted on to provide unbiased opinion and consultation, and that we wouldn't benefit by employing others on a project we were managing, ultimately creating a "moral hazard". This is still the case.

I haven't fundamentally altered the strategy of my business, (though I will be updating my website) I just had an idea I'd like to pursue. Of course, there are additional benefits of building our own product as well. First, it will be fun to work on a project in exactly the way I prefer. For example, not caring where a designer or developer works from. If I happen to have the good fortune of finding the right person in the same city I live in, then that's great and it would be wonderful to spend a little time with them now and then. But limiting the entire talent pool in all of the world down to a single city? That seems like a bad business decision.

It also provides me with something that I can share with and show to the rest of the world. The nature of the business is that NDA's are signed and a lot of the project specifics of what I work on are considered proprietary/confidential information. Building our own app helps build towards a meaningful public portfolio that I can openly share and discuss. In this regard, just building the application is a win for my business.

Lastly, and probably most importantly, it engages Theresa on a fun, interesting project right away that is extremely important to my company. When is the last time you felt like you were working on something important for your employer? If it's been a while, that's a bad sign. Working on this app also adds to her experience and ultimately allows her to grow into a position with my company where she's taking on more complex client projects. Here again, the core business of Ideal Project Group benefits from the development of this application.

It would certainly be nice if we ended up making a little money as well, but it's a fortunate situation to be in where just completing the first version of the application instantly helps the part of my business that's ultimately funding its development.