I’m new here and I’d like to introduce myself. I also want to explain how I ended up here and what I’ve tried so far to be successful. My goal is to finally leave the rat race, become self-employed, and achieve financial independence.
My name is Markus. I’m 46 years old and I live in Austria, right at the border with Switzerland and Liechtenstein. I have degrees in Software Engineering and Electrical Engineering. Currently, I’m a Senior Software Engineer and still a slow lane driver, but that’s not where I want to stay.
I listened to the Audible book The Millionaire Fastlane and I’m currently listening to Unscripted. For me, both books have been mind-blowing. I’m here because I want to learn from those who are already successful, and I’m sure this will help me avoid making the same mistakes I’ve already made in the past.
What I’ve tried so far to become a fast lane driver, and why I think I’ve failed:
About 10 years ago, I started developing apps. My first app was a parking app that showed the parking zones in our capital, Vienna. It had about 20,000 downloads, and I earned a few hundred euros per year through banner ads. This app was only interesting for people in and around Vienna, so 20,000 downloads wasn’t too bad. I thought: if I can earn a few hundred euros with an app that’s only interesting for one city, what could I achieve with an app that’s interesting for the whole world? Encouraged by that, I developed a new app with worldwide appeal. It was an app where you could add cooking recipes, build grocery lists, scan recipes from the internet, and so on. There was a free version and a paid version with add-ons. Implementing the app, building a website, and setting up the payment process in the backend took me about three years, since I could only work on it in my spare time on weekends. When the app was finished, I advertised it on Facebook. But the unpleasant surprise came afterwards: everyone who downloaded it just uninstalled it immediately. What was going on? Why didn’t people like it, even though it looked very fancy and was (in my opinion) user-friendly? The first problem was that it was too complicated for the average user, I was told. And since users immediately uninstalled it, the Google algorithm made my app disappear from the search results very quickly, before I was able to redesign it. So the party was over.
Lessons learned (the “CENTS” commandments):
I violated the commandment of control, since Google just made me disappear.
I probably violated the commandment of entry, because I think too many people are capable of developing apps.
I violated the commandment of need, because there were already many similar apps. Nobody needed another cooking app among thousands of others.
This was the end of my app career, and I will never develop apps again. The frustration was way too big.
My second attempt to achieve financial independence was based on the idea that one can get rich quickly. I tried to gamble with penny stocks in the financial market because I thought I could make use of the high leverage effect. But after some years, I was poorer because I lost more money than I earned.
My third and last attempt was to undergo professional training as a trader in the futures market. I’ve sacrificed all my free time over the past two years to be successful there. I had a lot of ideas about building a business around it if I became successful, so that others could participate in my success. But I’ve faced setback after setback. Meanwhile, I’m not sure this can ever work because there is too much left to chance here. It’s probably an illusion to think that I can outperform Wall Street in the long term. According to the “CENTS” framework, it’s pretty obvious that I’m violating the commandment of control, and maybe the commandment of time, since with no trading, there’s no money.
Now I’m at a point where I think I need to approach things completely differently. That’s why I’m here. So I’m looking forward to future discussions.
My name is Markus. I’m 46 years old and I live in Austria, right at the border with Switzerland and Liechtenstein. I have degrees in Software Engineering and Electrical Engineering. Currently, I’m a Senior Software Engineer and still a slow lane driver, but that’s not where I want to stay.
I listened to the Audible book The Millionaire Fastlane and I’m currently listening to Unscripted. For me, both books have been mind-blowing. I’m here because I want to learn from those who are already successful, and I’m sure this will help me avoid making the same mistakes I’ve already made in the past.
What I’ve tried so far to become a fast lane driver, and why I think I’ve failed:
About 10 years ago, I started developing apps. My first app was a parking app that showed the parking zones in our capital, Vienna. It had about 20,000 downloads, and I earned a few hundred euros per year through banner ads. This app was only interesting for people in and around Vienna, so 20,000 downloads wasn’t too bad. I thought: if I can earn a few hundred euros with an app that’s only interesting for one city, what could I achieve with an app that’s interesting for the whole world? Encouraged by that, I developed a new app with worldwide appeal. It was an app where you could add cooking recipes, build grocery lists, scan recipes from the internet, and so on. There was a free version and a paid version with add-ons. Implementing the app, building a website, and setting up the payment process in the backend took me about three years, since I could only work on it in my spare time on weekends. When the app was finished, I advertised it on Facebook. But the unpleasant surprise came afterwards: everyone who downloaded it just uninstalled it immediately. What was going on? Why didn’t people like it, even though it looked very fancy and was (in my opinion) user-friendly? The first problem was that it was too complicated for the average user, I was told. And since users immediately uninstalled it, the Google algorithm made my app disappear from the search results very quickly, before I was able to redesign it. So the party was over.
Lessons learned (the “CENTS” commandments):
I violated the commandment of control, since Google just made me disappear.
I probably violated the commandment of entry, because I think too many people are capable of developing apps.
I violated the commandment of need, because there were already many similar apps. Nobody needed another cooking app among thousands of others.
This was the end of my app career, and I will never develop apps again. The frustration was way too big.
My second attempt to achieve financial independence was based on the idea that one can get rich quickly. I tried to gamble with penny stocks in the financial market because I thought I could make use of the high leverage effect. But after some years, I was poorer because I lost more money than I earned.
My third and last attempt was to undergo professional training as a trader in the futures market. I’ve sacrificed all my free time over the past two years to be successful there. I had a lot of ideas about building a business around it if I became successful, so that others could participate in my success. But I’ve faced setback after setback. Meanwhile, I’m not sure this can ever work because there is too much left to chance here. It’s probably an illusion to think that I can outperform Wall Street in the long term. According to the “CENTS” framework, it’s pretty obvious that I’m violating the commandment of control, and maybe the commandment of time, since with no trading, there’s no money.
Now I’m at a point where I think I need to approach things completely differently. That’s why I’m here. So I’m looking forward to future discussions.
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today
