How I Built 7 Shopify Apps as a Solo Developer in Ireland

I am not a 22-year-old fresh out of college with a laptop and a dream. I am 47, I have been running a jewellery retail business in Cork, Ireland for over two decades, and I am only now — after closing that business — turning back to software full time. This is the story of how I built seven production applications as a solo developer, and why it took running shops for 22 years to figure out what software actually needed to exist. The Long Way Round I studied Computer Science at University College Cork, graduating in 2001. My first job was at Sun Microsystems, where I spent three years working on enterprise systems. It was rigorous, disciplined work. I learned how large-scale software gets built properly. Then in 2004, I took over the family jewellery business — Moores Jewellers, a multi-site retail operation across Cork. I ran it for 22 years. Four locations at our peak: Douglas Court, Mahon Point, Carrigaline, and Bandon. I served on the board of the Association of Fine Jewellers and