How do you define success as a Maker?

I tried to separate personal and professional success but it just doesn't work. I'm a single working mother and so success is related to this: Being able to take the day off, pick up the girls from school and say "screw work, we go to the beach/mountain/mall today". It's about freedom, but also from constraints society puts on you. I don't live up in the clouds (or below a rainbow - as I'm currently in Ireland), and I know that financial freedom is the basis, followed by a team I can trust as @draptis mentions. Success for me is also that my kids see their future as more than just having to get a job at a company.

Just enjoy the process. You're alive only once and you get to do what you like. Cherish the moment.

Constantly growing! No one ever should think "they've made it". We should always be looking for a place to grow and improve. If you're able to keep up with the ever-changing world and have a stable growth, that's success! Also, personally I think if you're influencing people and make them feel something, you're successful. If you're working on something which helps the people, great! But even if you're selling a product which may be considered "useless" to some, if you're giving something to community, having a good intention (maybe you're donating out of your profit), that's just wonderful to me. We need more of that..

To be followed by the Community manager of Product Hunt :D

As a maker, I believe the defined term of success, in this case, is accomplishing a certain goal or benchmark. However, success can also be tied to emotions; feeling good about your project, confidence is high, everything is looking good🔥🔥🔥💪

Success for me personally is divided in 2 steps: 1) Starting a Project: I believe is a huge success for any entrepreneur or solopreneur. Millions of people never attempt it, due to Fear alone, which stands for False Evidence Appearing Real 2) Finishing a Project that solves a particular 'need' or 'pain point' is a huge success, simply cause it's a lonely experience as an entrepreneur and it requires you to have the right mindset and thinking. It's in many ways: A Battlefield of the Mind. Key for me is to envision your project being a Big Success in the future! There will be ups and downs, but true success IMO is 1) Starting and 2) Finishing :)

Not a maker yet, but I'd think that when there's a person who genuinely likes the product and uses it on his/her own.