Planning your first app/program

First of all, I'm talking about something more than "Hello Word". Second, I started this process in the fall and "completed" it at the end of December with not quite the result I expected. I learned a little more about Javascript and a lot about planning.

1) Don't get caught up in the details - survey the big picture first:
    I wanted to create a real estate app. I spent a significant amount of time researching how to access the local MLS database. What I finally discovered was that I couldn't get access to the database unless I had major financial backing.  But before I spent any time researching the database, I should've considered what OS my target (an individual in this case) used. It was a Mac. I do not own a Mac. I do not intend to own a Mac. You may naturally conclude at this point that I do not know Swift and don't plan on learning it anytime soon. Hmmm. What to do.

2) You're about to spend $$ - do you really need to?
     I found a solution to my Mac predicament. It would be a small investment but if I could make a cool, functional, pretty app, it would be worth it. Again, I spent a lot of time learning about the solution in question. Then the reality of car tags, HOA dues and bar dues hit me. I wondered if there was another way that wouldn't cost as much. Free would be good.

3) Don't overcomplicate:
    Yes, there was an option. It's called Javascript. It'd didn't accomplish half of what my original app idea would do. However, it would accomplish one essential function that was the most important part of all. I got that part right - if you can't make your app do everything, focus on what is absolutely essential, the real reason for your app existing in the first place.
     What I did not get right is, once more, spending hours upon hours, figuring out how to do a particular task with Javascript. I don't mind that I did this. I learned about uploading a csv file with Javascript and I spent some quality time with regexp. In the real world, however, customers won't wait while you spend a few months exploring options in depth without exploring the real potential of those options.
      After spending quite a lot of time overcomplicating, I realized my end user already had half of what I needed - a pivot table that I could import with html. In the end, I made a simple web page that would display multiple pivot tables and accomplished what I intended in the beginning. It was not as great as my original idea, but it was free and that increased its value significantly under the circumstances. It was, in fact, prettier and more professional looking than the result would've been with my pre-Javascript and Javascript solutions.

As I embark on my next project, I've learned to flit around. I bounce from topic to topic because I inevitably hit on something that tells me I need to study this less and that more. I also am keeping in mind the big picture and I'm trying to do a better job of connecting the dots in advance.