Moved across the country alone and living in a car. Update thread until stability

[oneac]

Can you build it using no-code tools?



Man that's bullshit. Enjoy it and don't beat yourself up about one of the greatest joys of life. Doesn't matter if you're hustling or whatever. In the future you'll look back with fondness to the early days of infatuation. Don't ruin it thinking you're doing something bad.

Unfortunately I can't. Building the app and publishing it would require me to learn the Shopify App Store development stack.

I have to agree with your advice. The trade of just working and not living isn't the life I want to lead. If am I being honest with myself I can do both things - talk with her and build this app, it's all about how I prioritize my time.

Why can't you do something where you can make a sale, next week?

1.5 years to create an app?

Learning, before creating an app?

Or maybe somehow get paid to learn?

IDEA - Stop With The Ideas

One of my biggest red flags is the word "idea". Especially when it's an "idea for an app". Especially when you say you "can't reach an audience to test it". Especially when it'll take a minimum of 6 months to "go live". Having ideas suggests you're in your head theorising, rather than out...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

Well, I could there is nothing stopping me. I could buy some cars again and flip them in a few weeks or run around the neighborhood mowing lawns.

The thing is that the skills I'm developing are directly aiding future Darwin and the version on my life I've envisioned 5 years from now so I see my trajectory as the most direct path.

I have to agree when you say that taking 8 months (in the post you linked) just to develop this idea would be too long. This is why I've shifted my reasoning to this -- forget the ideas that I have now. In 8 months I'll have the needed skills to run with whatever idea is relevant at the time. But I can't do any idea if I don't have these skills.

I could get paid to learn and develop these skills by freelancing but even then I'm too inexperienced to make money that way which is why I think this learning process is what I need to tackle first.

 

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[oneac]

@Darwin Diaz what is your current posted weekly scorecard?
what do you put up on the wall? account balance? calls made? hours coding?
what can you post on the wall to help drive you?

what gets measured gets improved
what gets scheduled gets completed

Hmmm that's a good question. I will say 'hours of programming and learning' is my metric. Each week I need to have a high number of hours to break out of this learning stage.

I haven't been keeping track of this very accurately but I would say that per week I to put down around 30 hours of learning work. Now, I know this number is small, I'm improving it weekly though. My first goal is to get 40 hours / week (8HRS on my 3 off days, 4HRS on the days that I work) then, 50, 60, etc.

As for scheduling I've been doing pretty good because I rationally know the hours I need to put in per day (4 hours learning with the Odin Project, 4 hours practicing with codewars).

But as I mentioned before, I've been slacking.

Picking up the pace was we speak.

If coding is how you want to spend "the rest of your life" (obviously an exaggeration), then by all means develop this skill. Not everyone has to start making money washing windows or cleaning homes. Those are low barrier to entry companies anyways.

Yes, it'll take 6-18 months to build. And yes, it might fail.

View attachment 53010

But as long as you learn from these experiences, it's a win.

You can't build a skyscraper that lasts on a poor foundation. So right now, you're pouring concrete. Keep going.

Thank you this is reassuring and that's how I view my situation as well. I pouring concrete for my foundation.

Even in two years, when I've bought back my time through creating Shopify apps and now it's time for me to focus on creating a full SaaS, the skills and work ethic that I'm instilling in myself now will serve me later as well.

Thank you, it's nice to hear that from you @BizyDad.

 

[Andy Black]

I could get paid to learn and develop these skills by freelancing but even then I'm too inexperienced to make money that way

Get the experience then?

Can you code something simple up for someone for free or cheap, then do the same for someone else but paid? Then take it from there?


Beware "Yes, but." It instantly shut down the problem solving part of your brain.

NOTABLE! - MINDSET - Yes, but... (no, Yes, and!)

I used to have a friend who sold drugs. The police were extremely worried when a large batch of drugs were stolen from his car. ... until he told them he was selling laxatives that week. They found that highly amusing. Anyway, my friend was a very good salesman (selling to busy doctors in...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

 

[David Fitz]

I just took a gamble and moved from Ireland to Portugal now as I was so sick of my lifestyle.

Glad to see I'm not the only one doing shit like this haha

 

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[ZCP]

Hmmm that's a good question. I will say 'hours of programming and learning' is my metric. Each week I need to have a high number of hours to break out of this learning stage.

Then POST that on the wall each Sunday. Make a chart and CLEARLY show yourself daily if you are above the line / below the line. Then exceed the goal.

What gets measured gets improved

 

[Kevin7]

Moving out of sad, comfortable conformity into uncertainty in the name of your own happiness and success isn't a foreign concept to fans of MJ DeMarco.

Hell, this isn't even the first time that I did so.

But it is the first time I did so correctly. That is, I'm seeing this as a process and not an event.

I am not trying to get rich in 10 days, but instead in 3-4 years.

However long it takes, really.

I drove 30 hours from my home state New Jersey, to the extraterrestrial deserts of Utah. It's beautiful here. I feel an incredible mental clarity. Distractions have (still working on it though) been kicked out of the door.

Struggling and providing for myself feels like an adventure. I know that each action I take is taking me one step closer to my highest goals, one of them being the fastlane.

Quick rundown of my living situation:
- Was originally gonna save up $5k+ dollars by staying and working in NJ until December. Instead I decided that I'm tired of waiting to be happy and decide to go with about $1.5k

- I got here 3 or 4 days ago

- I live in inside of 2010 Honda Civic for now.

- The only goals that I'm focused on right now is getting into a nice little apartment. Entrepreneurship is on the back burner until my life is stable (learned this the hard way from my previous attempt at moving out)

- I shower, brush and exercise inside of Planet Fitnesses scattered throughout my area

- I got a job yesterday and today was my first day, feet hurt after a 10 hour shift but I worked those hours smiling knowing that this money is soon going towards my own apartment in a month or two from now

- I spend extra time in parks or libraries, I need to get better at getting my brain out of go mode. I'll get there soon

My successes so far:
- Made the drive without any problems
- Got a full time job fairly quickly
- Made sleeping in my small car bearable, getting better at sleeping every single night
- Have been getting better at understanding my own needs and emotions instead of just relying on logic
- Have kept my car well maintained, this is important as that's my biggest asset right now

I'm considering getting a part time job to save up money faster while I'm waiting for my apartment.

I have this ever present feeling to provide as much value as I can, even in the lackluster state that I'm in. I do this by giving fellow homeless people food from my stash when I can and by smiling and complimenting people as much as I can. I had the desire to try and make money independently (arbitrage, window washing, etc) but I don't know if its such as good idea of trying to fill someone's cup when mine isn't even full. What do you think about this?

Every Saturday I'll update this thread until I'm stable enough to divert attention away from surviving and towards entrepreneurship. Then I'll make a thread updating my entrepreneurial journey.

I don't think the updates are going to be that interesting. How interesting can working each week and saving up money be? But we'll see.

In two months from today or less I'll be in my own apartment.


View attachment 52014

The Chipotle and view I rewarded myself with after the 30+ hour drive

This is the kind of thing that is fun to look back on in 10 or 15 years... make sure you take a lot of photos, especially like the one with the Chipotle and view....they bring you back to those times like few things can.

 

[Ravens_Shadow]

Curious to hear @Ravens_Shadow thoughts on the timeframe to build a software product - if I remember correctly, he had no programming background and built an MVP in 1 month which has now become a successful company.

We did have an MVP of our first product within a month but it was pretty wretched and didn't make much money at all. The big flagship product took around 10 months for the MVP and that was an absolute hit. But by the time we actually started on that product we were already in "business" for 3 years, so it took quite some time in the grand scheme.

 

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[oneac]

Update Dec 29, 2023

Life is the same.
I spend time learning, I go to work, I exercise.
It's starting to weigh on me a bit.
I want a friend in real life but my mind always tells me that it's a waste of time.
I want to talk with women but my mind tells me it'll take away my focus.

It'll probably be like this for a couple years. If this is what it take then whatever.
On Christmas eve I climbed a mountain.

 

[oneac]

This is my learning road map:

The steps:​

(1) Learn​

• Learn the needed skills to develop Shopify apps. Doesn’t matter how long it takes.

(2) Micro SaaS​

• Publish niche and targeted Shopify Apps until you’re making $3,000 in MRP

(3) Crazy​

• Once you have this freedom: go crazy for a little bit. Take a few months off and do something you WANT TO DO with your newly found freedom.

(4) SaaS​

• Once you’re done playing around, it’s time to build your legacy. Build niche SaaS applications and retire your family.

Descriptions​

(1) Learn​

• Learn the needed skills to develop Shopify apps. Doesn’t matter how long it takes.

1.1


The first stage of learning can be seen as the fundamentals stage.


The first part of this process can be categorized by this:
My road map for 1.1 is

1. HTML/CSS/JS
   1. current stage
   2. resources (The Odin Project, Codewars)
   3. This will be considered completed when I have finish the Odin Project.
2. React
   1. I’ll ask Harshdeep what learning React should look like.
3. React framework
4. Databases
5. Build a app for myself that serves me in real life
6. Redo the entire app

1.2


This stage of learning can be seen as Shopify specific knowledge.


The second part of the first stage can be broken down like this:
The road map for 1.2 is:

1. Learn Web stuff (OAuth etc.)
2. Start working with a merchant
3. Solve the merchants problems

Once I am finished with these steps, I’m going to move onto the Micro SaaS stage of Shopify development.

Working twenty hours a week, Harshdeep guesses that this journey will take about 1.5 years.


I believe that this time frame is too long. However, I am completely prepared to sink that much time into the learning phase. Learning for one year does not bother me at all.

(2) Micro SaaS​

• Publish niche and targeted Shopify Apps until you’re making $3,000 in MRP, doesn’t matter how long this step takes.
• Write this out when you’ve completed the learning phase.

 

[ZackerySprague]

Update Dec 29, 2023

Life is the same.
I spend time learning, I go to work, I exercise.
It's starting to weigh on me a bit.
I want a friend in real life but my mind always tells me that it's a waste of time.
I want to talk with women but my mind tells me it'll take away my focus.

It'll probably be like this for a couple years. If this is what it take then whatever.
On Christmas eve I climbed a mountain.
View attachment 53235

View attachment 53236

Nothing wrong with having friends or finding a life partner bro.

You can do all three. Business, friends, and finding a partner.

 

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[Lou7]

This is my learning road map:

The steps:​

(1) Learn​

• Learn the needed skills to develop Shopify apps. Doesn’t matter how long it takes.

(2) Micro SaaS​

• Publish niche and targeted Shopify Apps until you’re making $3,000 in MRP

(3) Crazy​

• Once you have this freedom: go crazy for a little bit. Take a few months off and do something you WANT TO DO with your newly found freedom.

(4) SaaS​

• Once you’re done playing around, it’s time to build your legacy. Build niche SaaS applications and retire your family.

Descriptions​

(1) Learn​

• Learn the needed skills to develop Shopify apps. Doesn’t matter how long it takes.

1.1


The first stage of learning can be seen as the fundamentals stage.


The first part of this process can be categorized by this:
My road map for 1.1 is

1. HTML/CSS/JS
   1. current stage
   2. resources (The Odin Project, Codewars)
   3. This will be considered completed when I have finish the Odin Project.
2. React
   1. I’ll ask Harshdeep what learning React should look like.
3. React framework
4. Databases
5. Build a app for myself that serves me in real life
6. Redo the entire app

1.2


This stage of learning can be seen as Shopify specific knowledge.


The second part of the first stage can be broken down like this:
The road map for 1.2 is:

1. Learn Web stuff (OAuth etc.)
2. Start working with a merchant
3. Solve the merchants problems

Once I am finished with these steps, I’m going to move onto the Micro SaaS stage of Shopify development.

Working twenty hours a week, Harshdeep guesses that this journey will take about 1.5 years.


I believe that this time frame is too long. However, I am completely prepared to sink that much time into the learning phase. Learning for one year does not bother me at all.

(2) Micro SaaS​

• Publish niche and targeted Shopify Apps until you’re making $3,000 in MRP, doesn’t matter how long this step takes.
• Write this out when you’ve completed the learning phase.

Any updates?

 

[Oso]

I haven't read the entire thread, so I apologize ahead of time if my question(s)/points have already been answered/made/inquired about.

Update Dec 29, 2023

Life is the same.
I spend time learning, I go to work, I exercise.
It's starting to weigh on me a bit.
I want a friend in real life but my mind always tells me that it's a waste of time.
I want to talk with women but my mind tells me it'll take away my focus.

It'll probably be like this for a couple years. If this is what it take then whatever.
On Christmas eve I climbed a mountain.
View attachment 53235

View attachment 53236

Approach this mentality carefully. I know the people of this forum like the spout the "if you aren't in the gym 24/7, then you need to be grinding 24/7" bullshit, but I promise you it's okay to do more than 1 thing at a time in life. I encourage you to perhaps put the relationship stuff on the backburner as, let's be real, most women don't want to date a dude living in their car (assuming you still are), but once you've reached some point of stability, you can re-visit this topic. And if you now have that stability, then at that point, it's just a matter of finding a partner that you can establish effective communication with.

"Yo, I'm an entrepreneur, this is my business. It's going to require a lot of my time because I want to retire with more money than Bezos, Gates, and Musk combined." A lot of women will be salty you aren't spending 24 hours a day with them. A lot of women will be happy you're a man with ambition. Either way, the point to emphasize here is communication. The wrong relationship will destroy your entrepreneurial goals/dreams. The right one will ensure your goals flourish. Choose wisely.

But I highly encourage you to make friends, and hang out with those friends. Spending 1 night a week, 1 night every 2 weeks, etc. with friends isn't going to suddenly turn you into a drug addicted loser with no ambition (again, despite what many of the people on this forum would make you believe) unless you choose to hang out with those types of people. Having friends is also the quickest way to network...

This is my learning road map:

The steps:​

(1) Learn​

• Learn the needed skills to develop Shopify apps. Doesn’t matter how long it takes.

(2) Micro SaaS​

• Publish niche and targeted Shopify Apps until you’re making $3,000 in MRP

(3) Crazy​

• Once you have this freedom: go crazy for a little bit. Take a few months off and do something you WANT TO DO with your newly found freedom.

(4) SaaS​

• Once you’re done playing around, it’s time to build your legacy. Build niche SaaS applications and retire your family.

Descriptions​

(1) Learn​

• Learn the needed skills to develop Shopify apps. Doesn’t matter how long it takes.

1.1


The first stage of learning can be seen as the fundamentals stage.


The first part of this process can be categorized by this:
My road map for 1.1 is

1. HTML/CSS/JS
   1. current stage
   2. resources (The Odin Project, Codewars)
   3. This will be considered completed when I have finish the Odin Project.
2. React
   1. I’ll ask Harshdeep what learning React should look like.
3. React framework
4. Databases
5. Build a app for myself that serves me in real life
6. Redo the entire app

1.2


This stage of learning can be seen as Shopify specific knowledge.


The second part of the first stage can be broken down like this:
The road map for 1.2 is:

1. Learn Web stuff (OAuth etc.)
2. Start working with a merchant
3. Solve the merchants problems

Once I am finished with these steps, I’m going to move onto the Micro SaaS stage of Shopify development.

Working twenty hours a week, Harshdeep guesses that this journey will take about 1.5 years.


I believe that this time frame is too long. However, I am completely prepared to sink that much time into the learning phase. Learning for one year does not bother me at all.

(2) Micro SaaS​

• Publish niche and targeted Shopify Apps until you’re making $3,000 in MRP, doesn’t matter how long this step takes.
• Write this out when you’ve completed the learning phase.

While everything you're doing sounds cool and all, I can't help but believe there's something you could be doing right now that'd move your needle towards entrepreneurship. Obviously, you're interested in coding and development. Why not go the web design approach? I know everyone on this forum does it, but it would allow you to learn business, and exponentially increase your cash flow as you land clients. It's also within the same realm of app development (though, obviously, it isn't specifically shopify development), and it allows for remote work, which means you can learn Shopify development stuff while the people you hire fulfill your web design business.

When I started my web design agency, not a single part of me wanted to be sitting in front of a computer, building stupid WordPress websites. Those stupid WordPress websites allowed me to do the shit I actually wanted to do without feeling as if I was "wasting time." Even if you don't want to go the web design route, and despite the fact you don't have enough knowledge to build Shopify Apps yet, can you still do something within the Shopify space? At least then, it'll be more closely related to what you're aiming for. You could probably make a killing doing nothing but setting up Shopify stores for people.

Tbh, I just get the vibe you're shooting yourself in the foot for no reason, but that's just my opinion and shit.

Either way, I wish you the best!

P.S. The Odin Project is phenomenal.

Cheers.

 

[smackenzie]

Thanks @Darwin Diaz for putting a name to the idea I've had for the past few months around covering expenses as a first goal.

In this one by Paul Graham (for some reason the site says it's not secure, probably because it hasn't been updated since the dinosaurs were around) he goes over the concept of Ramen Profitability. I love this concept.

Ramen Profitability is exactly what I need to free up some time for more purposeful activities.
Keep up the good work!

 

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[NathanN]

Approach this mentality carefully. I know the people of this forum like the spout the "if you aren't in the gym 24/7, then you need to be grinding 24/7" bullshit, but I promise you it's okay to do more than 1 thing at a time in life. I encourage you to perhaps put the relationship stuff on the backburner as, let's be real, most women don't want to date a dude living in their car (assuming you still are), but once you've reached some point of stability, you can re-visit this topic. And if you now have that stability, then at that point, it's just a matter of finding a partner that you can establish effective communication with.

"Yo, I'm an entrepreneur, this is my business. It's going to require a lot of my time because I want to retire with more money than Bezos, Gates, and Musk combined." A lot of women will be salty you aren't spending 24 hours a day with them. A lot of women will be happy you're a man with ambition. Either way, the point to emphasize here is communication. The wrong relationship will destroy your entrepreneurial goals/dreams. The right one will ensure your goals flourish. Choose wisely.

But I highly encourage you to make friends, and hang out with those friends. Spending 1 night a week, 1 night every 2 weeks, etc. with friends isn't going to suddenly turn you into a drug addicted loser with no ambition (again, despite what many of the people on this forum would make you believe) unless you choose to hang out with those types of people. Having friends is also the quickest way to network...

Totally agree. Of course there is time needed to put into your business and sacrifices to be made, but there is time to dedicate to other things in your life while building your business and goals, like spending time with family and friends. I find health and fitness are the most important aspects in my life, so I dedicate a portion of every day to that. I also have time for school, my side hustle which pays the bills, and working on my bigger business, with time left over to talk to family and see friends and hangout with girls a few times a week and do something on the weekend.

When I cut video games and scrolling social media, I realized there is actually so much time in a day lol.

 

[nomoreeasy]

Update Dec 29, 2023

Life is the same.
I spend time learning, I go to work, I exercise.
It's starting to weigh on me a bit.
I want a friend in real life but my mind always tells me that it's a waste of time.
I want to talk with women but my mind tells me it'll take away my focus.

It'll probably be like this for a couple years. If this is what it take then whatever.
On Christmas eve I climbed a mountain.
View attachment 53235

View attachment 53236

There’s nothing wrong with speaking to others but I must say your progress is extremely inspiring. You went from nothing to something and YOU did it. I aspire to be like this one day. I want to do something like this, move away from home i feel so trapped here and as if it’s weighing me down. But I have to ask do you miss your family? Im afraid that it’ll be the one this that will keep me from leaving.

 

[Aidan04]

Darwin where are you man? We're all rooting for you here, please give us an update when you can.

 

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[oneac]

Darwin where are you man? We're all rooting for you here, please give us an update when you can.

Hey guys. Sorry I haven't been posting lately. My life is kinda the same lmao.

I'm just learning and learning and laying the foundation. My goal for the first quarter of 2024 is to finish the prerequisite technologies I need to learn and publish a personal project that I would use.

I've made a daily blog but I haven't hosted the site yet, I'll link it once it's on the web.

As for my progress, I'm almost finished with a major section of the skills I need (see below) I was actually working on the final project today.



Going on a walk now to reflect, but I'll try and update this thread in detail either today or tomorrow. Many good things have happened to me and I'm enjoying this journey so far.

 

[oneac]

There’s nothing wrong with speaking to others but I must say your progress is extremely inspiring. You went from nothing to something and YOU did it. I aspire to be like this one day. I want to do something like this, move away from home i feel so trapped here and as if it’s weighing me down. But I have to ask do you miss your family? Im afraid that it’ll be the one this that will keep me from leaving.

Good question. Yeah, I often feel like I've abandoned them and these thoughts come out to haunt me. I wonder how my mother and father but the truth is that I cannot become who I need to be under their influence. In a few years I'll retire them anyways.

Thanks @Darwin Diaz for putting a name to the idea I've had for the past few months around covering expenses as a first goal.

Ramen Profitability is exactly what I need to free up some time for more purposeful activities.
Keep up the good work!

Check out the indie hacking scene. Those guys know what's up.

I haven't read the entire thread, so I apologize ahead of time if my question(s)/points have already been answered/made/inquired about.

Approach this mentality carefully. I know the people of this forum like the spout the "if you aren't in the gym 24/7, then you need to be grinding 24/7" bullshit, but I promise you it's okay to do more than 1 thing at a time in life. I encourage you to perhaps put the relationship stuff on the backburner as, let's be real, most women don't want to date a dude living in their car (assuming you still are), but once you've reached some point of stability, you can re-visit this topic. And if you now have that stability, then at that point, it's just a matter of finding a partner that you can establish effective communication with.

"Yo, I'm an entrepreneur, this is my business. It's going to require a lot of my time because I want to retire with more money than Bezos, Gates, and Musk combined." A lot of women will be salty you aren't spending 24 hours a day with them. A lot of women will be happy you're a man with ambition. Either way, the point to emphasize here is communication. The wrong relationship will destroy your entrepreneurial goals/dreams. The right one will ensure your goals flourish. Choose wisely.

But I highly encourage you to make friends, and hang out with those friends. Spending 1 night a week, 1 night every 2 weeks, etc. with friends isn't going to suddenly turn you into a drug addicted loser with no ambition (again, despite what many of the people on this forum would make you believe) unless you choose to hang out with those types of people. Having friends is also the quickest way to network...

While everything you're doing sounds cool and all, I can't help but believe there's something you could be doing right now that'd move your needle towards entrepreneurship. Obviously, you're interested in coding and development. Why not go the web design approach? I know everyone on this forum does it, but it would allow you to learn business, and exponentially increase your cash flow as you land clients. It's also within the same realm of app development (though, obviously, it isn't specifically shopify development), and it allows for remote work, which means you can learn Shopify development stuff while the people you hire fulfill your web design business.

When I started my web design agency, not a single part of me wanted to be sitting in front of a computer, building stupid WordPress websites. Those stupid WordPress websites allowed me to do the shit I actually wanted to do without feeling as if I was "wasting time." Even if you don't want to go the web design route, and despite the fact you don't have enough knowledge to build Shopify Apps yet, can you still do something within the Shopify space? At least then, it'll be more closely related to what you're aiming for. You could probably make a killing doing nothing but setting up Shopify stores for people.

Tbh, I just get the vibe you're shooting yourself in the foot for no reason, but that's just my opinion and shit.

Either way, I wish you the best!

P.S. The Odin Project is phenomenal.

Cheers.

Thank for your words. I will respond to this in detail in either tonight or tomorrow. Have you completed the Odin Project?

 

[Oso]

Thank for your words. I will respond to this in detail in either tonight or tomorrow. Have you completed the Odin Project?

Take your time! I'm happy you've updated us a bit though. I did complete The Odin Project, but I did it a bit backwards in that I completed it after paying 12k for a bootcamp. I learned more from The Odin Project than I did in my bootcamp.

Cheers.

 

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[oneac]

Hello hello hello.

How are you?

I'm doing amazing. Today was a great day. Got 4 deep work session in, walked around a lot, and did calisthenics at this beautiful park that I've found.

Before I start writing I want to briefly talk about a concept that isn't talked about as much as it should be.

The concept: How you do anything is how you do everything.

- MJ mentioned how when he was a dish washer, those dishes would be spotless. This molded his mind to understand that if you slack on the easy things, you'll slack on the harder things. If you are the type of guy to leave dirty dishes in your sink, how do you think this is going to reflect in your business? In your life?

- I'm reading Deep Work by Cal Newport and he mentions a similar concept. Imagine you spend your time doing needle-moving work. Your focused and ruthless but as soon as your work ends you are scrolling TikTok? What message is that sending? What type of person are you trying to be?

- I'm experimenting with this concept. I no longer let myself consume without intent. In anything I do. For example, my off days look like this:

- wake

- walk

- deep work 4 hours

--- NO TECH ALLOWED. normal daily stuff like exercise, tasks, etc -----

- 6pm - 8pm I can use technology again.

This has a TREMENDOUS impact on my being. Focus is becoming second nature to me. The short 4 hours that I spend working gets a 10x productivity boost. I wind up accomplishing more in those 4 hours of learning and building than I would've had I not set a deadline.

My goal is to slowly increase the time I spend working, but quality > quantity right now.

Life Update
- Had a romantic partner over
- My thoughts on money now vs money later
- Same old days

Had a romantic partner over
Not sure if I mentioned it in my previous post but I was debating whether to continue dating or not. I have this girl in mind from back home, her and I have a great bond a lot of history together.

We're close to the point where we were both considering having her live with me.

I decided to see if I can manage being with her and also progressing in my business.

We set two weeks in mid-January for her to come over. Not going to lie, the time was amazing. We did something fun every single day. Hiking, ice skating, seeing the stars, going to the mall etc etc.

Even if we weren't doing anything her and I can talk for hours and hours and hours and hours and hours. It was great two weeks that I'll forever remember.

But I didn't have the discipline to manage both her and my progress in my Shopify app dev journey. I slacked off HARD. I'm talking I didn't do shit for 75% of our time together.

So the two weeks ended and I told her we cannot be together.

I don't know how you guys can manage a partner and a business together at once, but I can't. I am an all or nothing type of guy with my energy I've learned.

All my energy goes towards not being a slave.

This set my heart more at ease, knowing this about myself.

My thoughts on money now vs money later

While everything you're doing sounds cool and all, I can't help but believe there's something you could be doing right now that'd move your needle towards entrepreneurship. Obviously, you're interested in coding and development. Why not go the web design approach? I know everyone on this forum does it, but it would allow you to learn business, and exponentially increase your cash flow as you land clients. It's also within the same realm of app development (though, obviously, it isn't specifically shopify development), and it allows for remote work, which means you can learn Shopify development stuff while the people you hire fulfill your web design business.

@Oso and other have made an amazing point that I've been wondering about. That is this -- am I going to slow? I'm spending so much time learning but I haven't made any money yet. I can see how one can make this point but I'm steadfast in my decision to build my foundation first.

I'll be learning what I need to know until half of this year is over. I've worried about this a lot and realized this -- I'm okay with that. We talk about money slow and money fast but I can't help but think that making money in a year is pretty fast.

Think of this time as me smithing a bat. I need a good bat before I can start hitting home runs.

Learning the technical side and nothing else is the way that most indie-hackers fail. This is a pit fall I'm going to avoid

I'm resolving to a good amount of time studying the market I'm preparing to serve - Shopify merchants.

Same old shit lmao
Besides those two things my life has been pretty steady lmao. I'm learning and building and doing calisthenics. I've found out that I love solving problems with code and it brings me great satisfaction.

My take away is that on top of this time I should also be making a name for myself in Shopify merchant circles...

 

[oneac]

Take your time! I'm happy you've updated us a bit though. I did complete The Odin Project, but I did it a bit backwards in that I completed it after paying 12k for a bootcamp. I learned more from The Odin Project than I did in my bootcamp.

Cheers.

Wow that's criminal. I'm sorry to hear that. Was the bootcamp not front-end based or where they just bad at what they did?

 

[Oso]

Wow that's criminal. I'm sorry to hear that. Was the bootcamp not front-end based or where they just bad at what they did?

It was a full stack course. More or less the same content you can find on YT for free.

I wish you luck on your endeavors! Keep us updated.

Cheers.

 

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[MTF]

So the two weeks ended and I told her we cannot be together.

I don't know how you guys can manage a partner and a business together at once, but I can't. I am an all or nothing type of guy with my energy I've learned.

Man if you have a girl over for two weeks only OF COURSE you'll slack off. It's very, very different if you live together because then you have all the time in the world and you regain balance.

It's like going on vacation to Florida for two weeks and saying "I don't know how you can guys do anything here, all I do is chill out at the beach." If you live there, it's no longer a rare thing so you can both work and chill out.

 

[oneac]

Man if you have a girl over for two weeks only OF COURSE you'll slack off. It's very, very different if you live together because then you have all the time in the world and you regain balance.

It's like going on vacation to Florida for two weeks and saying "I don't know how you can guys do anything here, all I do is chill out at the beach." If you live there, it's no longer a rare thing so you can both work and chill out.

Good point

 

[maverick]

Learn how to code with copilot

 

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[Sega Saph]

Mr. Diaz, Have you had anything to share/updates? Although Love the beginning of the great story of yours, really fascinating to know how you are, my man! Cheers and good luck!

 

[Choate]

Somewhere along the line, I feel like you lost your fire and became complacent. It became difficult to finish the thread. Here was this magnificent journey of moving across the country with your back against the wall and executing, making real things happen in a short amount of time.

Then, that precise constraint that contributed to your initial success ("in a short amount of time") just disappeared from your mindset. You decided that you need to learn React and Shopify before continuing your entrepreneurial journey. You decided this would be a multi-year endeavor, and in the mean time, you'd put around and action fake with some projects that didn't really solve anyone's problem but made you feel good doing them.

Even before that, you weren't doing anything with any kind of seriousness. There is a distinct gap in your mindset between solving problems for other people and getting paid, and just mucking about in your playground by building small time things just for the sake of building them. It is the equivalent of a 3 year old playing with their building blocks.

I've seen this trend over the years on this forum and I've contributed to it myself. I'll call it now: this thread is dead. You'll come back with an update on your learning progress, how some more distractions took you off your journey, and you'll detail some BS about your day-to-day or maybe how you've become disciplined in your mornings.

There's a certain drive, focus, and adhesion to constraints that is needed for that next step in your entrepreneurial journey. I hope you find it, and find it soon.

 

[oneac]

Its been a long time since I've last posted an update. My journey has gone down hill. I moved back in with my family, am still on this bullshit "learning phase" and have made 0 dollars through entrepreneurial ventures.

Recently, I've gotten criticism from people like @Choate and @Black_Dragon43 on the zero progress I've made since my first post in October. It's F*cking April now and I have nothing to show for the time that has passed besides being able to make useless browser applications.

I feel completely lost. I know what I need to do is find a problem, solve it and make money. And I've been going about this backwards by learning to build first.

The advice I always here is that ideas are everywhere and yet this is the thing I struggle with the most.

I don't know what to solve.

I've shifted my strategy from focusing on learning to code to rather diving into communities and looking for problems to solve, thanks to a book called the Embedded Entrepernuer. Nothing so far. This feels pointless.

All I want to do is just give up and yet that's the last thing I will ever do.

My goal is to have a business in the tech space and be able to both build and market. This will not change.

For now I will go back into car flipping, as this has been the only reliable way I can make money on my own.

I need a win right now, because I feel like a loser.

 

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[ZF Lee]

Its been a long time since I've last posted an update. My journey has gone down hill. I moved back in with my family, am still on this bullshit "learning phase" and have made 0 dollars through entrepreneurial ventures.

Recently, I've gotten criticism from people like @Choate and @Black_Dragon43 on the zero progress I've made since my first post in October. It's F*cking April now and I have nothing to show for the time that has passed besides being able to make useless browser applications.

I feel completely lost. I know what I need to do is find a problem, solve it and make money. And I've been going about this backwards by learning to build first.

The advice I always here is that ideas are everywhere and yet this is the thing I struggle with the most.

I don't know what to solve.

I've shifted my strategy from focusing on learning to code to rather diving into communities and looking for problems to solve, thanks to a book called the Embedded Entrepernuer. Nothing so far. This feels pointless.

All I want to do is just give up and yet that's the last thing I will ever do.

My goal is to have a business in the tech space and be able to both build and market. This will not change.

For now I will go back into car flipping, as this has been the only reliable way I can make money on my own.

I need a win right now, because I feel like a loser.

It's alright Darwin.

Thanks for sharing your experience, even though its difficult.
Just by doing this, you already have a lot more courage than most folks who just keep quiet and don't ask for help.

Something that may help:

It is possible that your current car flipping skill can be the seed itself to something that works.

It's a lot easier to bank in on your strengths, rather than spend too much time filling in weaknesses that may take a lifetime to conquer. We don't always have to start from totally zero.

Example:

Few years back, I was also stuck with zero work and zero ideas.

Then I saw how Lex busted thru Upwork copywriting. He didn't start out with tons of gurus. Just Cashvertising, Breakthrough Advertising and on-the-job work.

He shared one of the reasons he chose this copywriting work...because he used to write lots of short stories. This is an intrinsic element of sales copy (especially in a time when attention spans are dwindling).

I felt I myself had a similar background, since I did write a lot for my own school magazine.

That gig is not exactly strong with the Commandment of Entry.
But that doesn't mean you cannot strengthen that pillar.

So I jumped into it.

There were clients who paid small and big...but there were many, many skews or skillsets I had to pick up over time, buy a course on (with some earned money, thankfully, no debt), read or ask online.

I came to realise copywriting wasn't just writing. In time, I had to add research, sales and marketing (even pricing for my own offers)...which were a far cry to simply 'writing' alone. Even having proper sleep, a good reading routine and a decent accounting system can do WONDERS for the average copywriter or freelancer.

I also had to evolve...I moved from general copywriting that Lex taught...to email copywriting (niching)...and now currently into TikTok for an affiliate health product and email list management (each potentially can be selling specialised units)

MJ talked on a similar roadmap, which I think could help A LOT of folks here:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_58zPgArb4&t=405s




My point is that we don't always have to start from zero.

We can start with what we already have.

And fill in the gaps when the need arises.

 

[ZF Lee]

I'll throw in an idea here...

My parents are currently looking for property to invest in.
But a great majority of the online listings are F*cking fake--and even the images are doctored by AI now.

It strikes me that vehicles listings CAN be also faked too. Even the photos.
And crazy used car dealers can offer stupid prices, even with the advent of aggregator platforms.

Here's a local forum full of similar complaints:

Most of used cars dealer is con man?

By looking thru the google review, mostly i find that used cars dealer got a way to cheat people. any experiences?This post has been edited by hakamika: Jan 2 2019, 06:57 PM

forum.lowyat.net

It's from 2019-2022. Nobody seems to solve shit yet.

I dunno if your local area has similar software solutions to identify shit car listings or get better prices for everybody.

Something your background in car flipping could help with?