Shareware was a way for me to learn, create, and market all at the same time. When I think of the shareware market, I am reminded of the open markets in Mexico where vendors sell their hand-made wares in improvised booths. You must participate more, hunting through a myriad of products to find your diamond in the rough, as there are no slick advertisements or poster girls pointing the way. But I found this somehow refreshing, dealing with an individual instead of a trademarked logo, and taking active participation in barter rather than being spoon-fed information from ad agencies. Quality does not depend on the packaging, but rather on the product.
Electronic networks are a new frontier, with shareware vendors tending trading posts along the way.
I have worked on a number of commercial projects before, but I've never really been satisfied with most of my publishers. I have a perhaps inordinate amount of faith in myself and my vision, and when that conflicts with a publisher's direction, I get discouraged. So I also enjoy writing shareware software because I have creative control over the product, whether that means success or failure. Then he or she is disappointed when it doesn't go over well. People will be much more likely to support you if they see that you are actively working on improving your products.