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20 years old, planning to quit uni and move to Thailand to work on business

Jonathan S.Diaz

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If you want to cut living expenses, nothing wrong with living with your parents.

Love this quote. I wonder why the luxurious ideal of a tropical Thailand is so tempting over the stigmatized parent’s basement to cut expenses...
 
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daniel_m

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Love this quote. I wonder why the luxurious ideal of a tropical Thailand is so tempting over the stigmatized parent’s basement to cut expenses...

I would make the argument that moving out (anywhere, not just Thailand) is a great investment in and of itself. If it makes you more happy/productive/motivated, then the investment will pay off.

There's also the problem of people getting too comfortable. If you're on your own in Thailand, you know that you need to bust your a$$ to pay the bills or you're on the streets and all of a sudden you're a ladyboy offering "entertainment services". At home, you can just chill pretty much indefinitely because mommy + daddy got you covered.

Didn't MJ turn his whole life around the second he moved out of Chicago and to AZ? sometimes that's all someone needs.
 

MattR82

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I think places like Thailand and bali are a great idea, there's some great coworking spaces and communities to hang out with like minded people. But when you are already making at least 1k per month. Otherwise it can suck haha.
 

Singularity73

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I would make the argument that moving out (anywhere, not just Thailand) is a great investment in and of itself. If it makes you more happy/productive/motivated, then the investment will pay off.

There's also the problem of people getting too comfortable. If you're on your own in Thailand, you know that you need to bust your a$$ to pay the bills or you're on the streets and all of a sudden you're a ladyboy offering "entertainment services". At home, you can just chill pretty much indefinitely because mommy + daddy got you covered.

Didn't MJ turn his whole life around the second he moved out of Chicago and to AZ? sometimes that's all someone needs.
Yeah exactly and no doubt my parents would be harassing me to get a job so I don't think it would be a great environment
 
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AFMKelvin

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Don't listen to all this people telling you to stay in school. They are just thinking that if you finished school you'll have that safety net to fall back on when you quit your business. This implies that your business won't be a success. If you think like that you're already starting off on the wrong foot.

Think of it like this. If you're paying for college you're most likely getting a loan. That loan is you investing in a small business which is you. You're telling the bank. "Hey give me a small business loan and I'll pay it back once I start getting payed by my customer whose my employer.

Just Do It

You'll learn more in 6 months in Thailand than 4 years in college. College is a bubble and most people never leave that bubble. By going to Thailand you'll learn about people and how the world actually works. It'll be brave of you to throw yourself into the world like that.

When I was your age I went and stayed in a third world country for six months. When I came back to the US my mind and outlook in life had changed. The things that I took for granted in the USA I was thankful for. Also you'll see how people don't change across cultures. You'll find the same characters and politics wherever you go.

From what you wrote you already have a product that sells. Imagine working in marketing the product 12 hours a day 7 days a week because you have so much free time. I bet you will increase your sells from $100 to $1000 a month in no time.

Good luck and keep us updated on what you end up doing. And one last thing F*ck COLLEGE.
 

AFMKelvin

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In terms of university, that's a personal choice - but as someone who didn't go, I will tell you now that you'll make it 100x harder for yourself in the real world. University opens doors that you would otherwise have to build from scratch. I've found that out the hard way. If you don't believe me, here's a clip of Felix Dennis iterating the same:

Care to elaborate on this? What doors did you have to build from scratch that the university would had opened for you? And how do you know that if you never went to college?

I've been hearing this a lot lately. People claiming that it's not about the degree or knowledge but the connections you make in college that make it worth it. It's like that's their new marketing campaign after the "college students earn more in their lifetime" campaign failed.

I even heard this from Mark Cuban telling kids to stay in college even though he dropped out. What he doesn't mention is that those "connections" come with a price tag. Usually around the six figure mark. You'll pay for those connections now and in the future through your loans.

Secondly, wouldn't someone who starts a business and gets out there naturally come across this "connections?" Surely he would meet other business owners and network.
 

happiness2go

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From what you wrote you already have a product that sells. Imagine working in marketing the product 12 hours a day 7 days a week because you have so much free time. I bet you will increase your sells from $100 to $1000 a month in no time.

If you your business can easily be brought to $1000 a month, then you can just do that in your current situation with no drastic changes needed in your environment.

Once you have made it to $1000 / month (which is enough to cover your costs in Thailand), then you can move freely.

Nobody here says that it's a bad idea to move to Thailand. Just dont pretend that moving to Thailand will solve your CURRENT problem - which is that your business doesn't pay for your bills.
 
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Devilery

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Wait I was going to ask, how is that bullshit? If there's one there's more! What would you consider a validated idea?
Of course there's more. Somewhere, at unknown distance away. I'm all for taking risks and sacrificing things to succeed with entrepreneurial endeavors, but quitting school to pursue something that made you 100$? Okay, that might cover minimum food supply in Thailand. But. Is it reccurring 100$? Do you have more prospects that are very likely to join?
Don't get me wrong. I want you to be happy and succeed, but if:
"Honestly I don't know much about marketing so I'm trying to learn. " And the already mentioned revenue.
What "full-time" are you talking about? I don't know what kind of business you're starting, therefore I can't really see the whole "full-time", "potential" aspect.
Of course, I might be not as much of a risk taker as others here on the forum, but I would much rather put the minimum effort to finish the studies and use every minute of my free time to build the business.

The point about low living expenses - you're absolutely right! That's why I moved back with parents (not proud, but works for now). Of course, Thailand would be the same costs, but I feel like many people go there and years later they travel around the world making 800$ a month. Real entrepreneur doesn't need a "better" environment. You just have to work - hard.

Thailand is overrated by all the "How I afford to travel the world while working 2 hours a day!" There's too much fun and distractions. For travel loving freelancers? Great. For building a massive business? Unneccessary.

What I'm trying to say is: "Get the business to a level, that you can atleast cover your living costs and expect that it will progress."

P.S. And I will add to what others said: Go there for a few week trip!
 
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Singularity73

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Of course there's more. Somewhere, at unknown distance away. I'm all for taking risks and sacrificing things to succeed with entrepreneurial endeavors, but quitting school to pursue something that made you 100$? Okay, that might cover minimum food supply in Thailand. But. Is it reccurring 100$? Do you have more prospects that are very likely to join?
Don't get me wrong. I want you to be happy and succeed, but if:
"Honestly I don't know much about marketing so I'm trying to learn. " And the already mentioned revenue.
How does it make sense to move to the other side of the world to go "full-time"?
Of course, I might be not as much of a risk taker as others here on the forum, but I would much rather put the minimum effort to finish the studies and use every minute of my free time to build the business.
Once it makes you more than enough to live in Thailand - go for it!

P.S. And I will add to what others said: Go there for a few week trip!
I get what you're saying, it is less risky to do it on the side while finishing uni. My reasoning was if I moved to Chiang Mai or somewhere similar it would be easier to grow it quickly because I can learn from others doing similar things and cover my expenses fairly easily. And I'm not talking about a permanent move, just around 6 months would be good. 6 months of focussing on the business full time and meeting like minded people.
I made just over £200 last month and month before was about £90. In total I've made about £800 since March 2018. With 0 marketing I think that's pretty decent and shows it has potential.

I don't even see this as a big risk if I can just postpone my university course for a year (will need to look into that). By the end of my placement I should have more than enough savings for 1 year as well.
 

tommichael

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Man, you really got me with your question as I am a big fan of Thailand and have been thinking to move there as well. However, my advice for you is that you complete your studies before you move to Thailand. I consider a university degree (if a usable major) as an insurance if things go wrong. While we all here aspire to develop our own businesses, it's always good to have a Plan B. After you completed your studies you can give your plan to move to Thailand a shot. I have a good amount of friends who live as Expats in Bangkok and all of them are entrepreneurs. While there are a lot of business opportunities, you must know that it's a hard place to make business ,especially if you're a foreigner and obviously not talking Thai language. Also, I must admit that you need have a high degree of discipline in Thailand as there are a lot of temptations that potentially can keep you away from work (parties, girls and so on). Hope this helps.
 
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NCNY

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This is what i was thinking. You sound like you know what you are doing. 9k users with no marketing ? That's productrocracy. Well done.

If you move:

You will pay less rent,
enjoy more the place you live,
have more time for your business,
and be surrounded by a better, entrepreneur enviroment ...

Just do it.

There is a major difference between 9k free users and 9k paying users
 

Singularity73

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While we all here aspire to develop our own businesses, it's always good to have a Plan B.
But there's no reason to have a plan B as it distracts from plan A ;)
While there are a lot of business opportunities, you must know that it's a hard place to make business ,especially if you're a foreigner and obviously not talking Thai language.
Is this just if you want to setup a business in Thailand? What if I set it up in the UK and operate in Thailand for 6 months? That's what I'd like to do..
Also, I must admit that you need have a high degree of discipline in Thailand as there are a lot of temptations that potentially can keep you away from work (parties, girls and so on).
I'm not much of a party person anyway so I don't see this being a big issue. I'm pretty disciplined as that's how I've got my product to where it is (get up at 5AM nearly every day to work on it). But who knows, I guess this big a change in environment could destroy the routine I have going..
 

Lee Belcher

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Am I missing something here?

If you don't enjoy nor want to go to uni then leave. If you want to work on your business and experience other countries then do it.

You'll never regret not finishing uni unless you're not serious about creating a fast lane business and lifestyle.

Worst case scenario you experience Thailand, come back broke. Get a side job to cover expenses and keep hustling.

Sounds like you've made your mind up already and simply want permission... Give yourself permission and go!
 
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Kevin88660

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I am against quitting uni, unless you can continue your study in the future.
 

ChrisV

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You love programming? Why not just learn it on your own? I mean that's what I did. I don't know if most employers look for a degree if you're moving into that field.. I think they just want to know you're capable. But ask around first, I run a business.
 

Johnny boy

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I dropped out of school with one quarter left before my degree.
I started a business without any idea of what to do.
I climbed a mountain without a guide or any experience in climbing.
I'm going to India for two weeks to drive a rickshaw 3500km in January.

The very things I am 100% the most proud of are all things people told me not to do because it was "reckless".

I can tell you something from those experiences:

Dive headfirst into life. Don't let the masses of scared pussies tell you how to live and project their own sad fear onto you.

After you do it, they'll all forget about what they said and you'll be admired and most importantly, you'll admire yourself.

Pick the options that seem like the brave choice and you will be proud of who you are. Pick options that seem like the cowards way out and you'll live like a normal person.
 
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ManlyMansNegator

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lol why so negative? I don't see anything wrong with following successful people on YouTube and taking action on some of their advice..


To be clear, I'm not talking about moving to Thailand permanently. Just for a period of about 6 months will do, so I can focus on getting the business off the ground and surround myself with people who are doing similar things.


Not so, I haven't done that badly - still passed second year. Averaged just over 80% in my first year, this year I averaged 52%. And even after first year I wanted to quit, but being with friends in a joint tenancy agreement made me continue (ugh).
You know how time is your most valuable asset? That's what makes me think I shouldn't waste my time with something that isn't going to serve me. But there are pros and cons I guess.


This would definitely be a safer method. I've been doing this already the past two years at uni, I just really want to go full time and not have to worry about pointless exams and stuff :\
Sorry! I was under the impression that you had no real buisness set up and wanted to go to a a third world country out of blue for the foreseeable future.

You have 9k registered users on an MVP without marketing! If anything, you should be giving me advice!

I don't know much about thailand but why not just take a hiatus for 6 months and live in your home country? Is there a reason for thailand?

I don't like living with my parents either and don't listen to people who want you to live with them.

Good luck!
 

rpeck90

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I dropped out of school with one quarter left before my degree.
I started a business without any idea of what to do.
I climbed a mountain without a guide or any experience in climbing.
I'm going to India for two weeks to drive a rickshaw 3500km in January.

The very things I am 100% the most proud of are all things people told me not to do because it was "reckless".

I can tell you something from those experiences:

Dive headfirst into life. Don't let the masses of scared pussies tell you how to live and project their own sad fear onto you.

After you do it, they'll all forget about what they said and you'll be admired and most importantly, you'll admire yourself.

Pick the options that seem like the brave choice and you will be proud of who you are. Pick options that seem like the cowards way out and you'll live like a normal person.

You don't need a degree to do what you do, whilst in many other areas you do.

Care to elaborate on this? What doors did you have to build from scratch that the university would had opened for you? And how do you know that if you never went to college?

I've been hearing this a lot lately. People claiming that it's not about the degree or knowledge but the connections you make in college that make it worth it. It's like that's their new marketing campaign after the "college students earn more in their lifetime" campaign failed.

I even heard this from Mark Cuban telling kids to stay in college even though he dropped out. What he doesn't mention is that those "connections" come with a price tag. Usually around the six figure mark. You'll pay for those connections now and in the future through your loans.

Secondly, wouldn't someone who starts a business and gets out there naturally come across this "connections?" Surely he would meet other business owners and network.

Name, reputation, experience, network - old school tie.

It's done with nods and winks, but it exists.

The real problem with university is that most people shouldn't be going. They should learn a trade and ply it with gusto. But instead, they take on debt and have no marketable skill to show for it. This is the main problem with the system, and it won't change until something catastrophic happens.

On the flip side, entrepreneurialism is painted as an El Dorado -- a path to riches for the uninitiated. Lots of mediocre people are attracted to entrepreneurialism for the same reason they don't get much money from the wider system -- it gives them something they're able to "do" without the required experience to pull it off. A shortcut.

Markets work the same today as they have always done - just because you want to bring your shitty "me too" import from China into the game doesn't make people want to buy it. It's the same with the talent pool. Just because you barely scraped through 5 years of "lectures" doesn't make you entitled to a seat at the table.

Results speak louder than words. However you derive those results is up to you, but in the end, the only thing people care about is what you're able to do for them. If you cut off your nose to spite your face, you'll end up in commercial purgatory (drifting between low level work for your whole life).

Be of service, continue investing into yourself and you'll eventually attract wealth by virtue of the quality of results you're able to deliver. Whilst a degree doesn't determine this, the connections and network derived from going through it would definitely help. But only if you know how to use them.

 

happiness2go

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@TimTheCoder

I've actually taken the time now to have a little bit of a closer look at your app.

The design is very nice. But it is very counter-intuitive to use. I was trying to create a quiz/survey and had no idea how to complete it.

25634

Also, it is very misleading that the quizzes are called "games". I am actually a user of existing quiz software, but I didn't have any clue on first look that this is what your app was for.

Here are a bunch of questions:


- are you clear on who your target customer is?

- are you clear on your business model? For example: why would somebody pay to upgrade to the pay feature?

- are you clear on your positioning? How is this any different from any other quiz software (as there are a lot of other options out there).

- are you clear on how you want to get this to the point where it covers your expenses? As in, do you have any idea how to acquire more paying users?

----
I quite frankly don't think that lack of time is your problem in terms of creating recurring revenue to cover your expenses.

My guess is that you spend lots of time coding and hardly any time working on the business side of things (i.e. creating revenue).

Spend a few hours a week figuring out how to actually make money from this business without changing anything about your current living situation.

I bet you'll be able to move to Thailand while actually having your monthly expenses covered soon enough.
 
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Rabby

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I have a possible revenue source for you since this is quiz software. I have to do DMCA takedown requests all the time because people put my stuff up on Quizlet. Think about content creators and IP owners. If we had a way allow, persist, and gate access to our IP when people put it out there, we might be convinced to become customers, instead of just users of the "takedown" page.
 

Lokantha

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I love Thailand. However, I find it smarter to build my skills first.
I agree with sticking with the education and foregoing your wanderlust (something I had done up until about 6m ago, now been to Thailand 2x, Japan, & Hongkong). The trips were worth every penny because it makes you more interesting and increases your value. If even that value is making you a better conversationalist with a unique experience.

This said, why do I think you should stick with the education? Farang (foreign white) men in general get paid far above Thai locals; if you have some business degree and skills to help a hotel out. However, travel to Thailand (particularly with recent political issues) has its up's and down's, and can impact available jobs/job security.

What I have personally done to allow myself (hopefully) to travel and live in Thailand (or probably Singapore because exchange rate is better & greater opportunities):
1. Got my Accounting Degree
2. Worked over 5yr in Accounting (Staff Accountant, now Senior Accountant, & Controller position is within reach)
3. Got my CPA
4. Halfway through my MBA
5. Networked/Networking like crazy (still should be doing more)
6. Made myself super busy learning/studying new skills to save money & invest in myself (so far 20K saved, but I also have 2 rental properties & paid for grad school fully in cash)

I'm far from 'successful', always room for improvement, but what I'm saying is ... it's a hell of a lot easier if you establish yourself in USA/Europe/CAN/AU/etc. before moving.

My plan is to hopefully be an interim Controller/CFO for US based organizations with plants located abroad for 3-6m periods. Or even be interim Controller in the US, make money 9m a year, learn a new skill/travel in low cost areas across Asia the next 3m.

Just.. set yourself up for success first! I'm ~28yr old, and still being patient for another year (MBA completed then), until I'm ready to take the leap. Perhaps knowing this is what you want, you can shave off a year or two by working hard and building your resume with this as an end goal.
 
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Solais

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Why Thailand specifically? I'm sure there are plenty of inexpensive spots in Europe.

Edit: Digital nomadism is overrated. Whenever I travel, I never get any work done. I'd rather settle in an inexpensive spot and take some vacations like normal people, but do whatever suits you. Don't fall for the hype unless it really behooves your capabilities.
 
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Alan27

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I can’t believe the answers here. When did you get your nuts cut off?

“Stay in school!”

“Don’t take the risk!”

Jesus Christ.

Don’t listen to them. Say yes. Screw school. Take a chance and make it happen. You’ll ask “what if I took the risk” when you’re older and you’ll hate yourself for being a wimp.

Just do it.

I couldn't agree more with Johnny boy. While I enjoyed college and could have "done more" with my degree, I now wish I would've skipped college at 18, and instead read everything by MJ DeMarco, Russell Brunson, and a few more, and moved to Thailand, even if only temporarily.

Assuming your business or teaching English online or something can sustain you out there, the worst that can happen is you spend too much and have to head home and work a normal job for a while to regroup. You're young and have plenty of time to recover from any mistakes you make, so this isn't even that big of a deal.

On the other hand, the benefits of going, especially at such a young age, are many. For one, you'll be exposed to entrepreneurs and an entrepreneurial community, which is hard to do in just about anyone's hometown. Second, you'll be able to make entrepreneurial friends and attend workshops, conferences, masterminds, and more where you can learn and be exposed to new business ideas you hadn't considered.

There are many more reasons to go but that should be enough for now.

Even if 75% of the people there don't have businesses yet, you'll at least be surrounded by people who are trying, reading, experimenting, learning, and hungry for success. There's a reason those people are there, because Thailand is a great incubator for budding online entrepreneurs.

You're young. Take a (calculated) chance. Learn marketing and sales, and surround yourself with people on a similar mission however you can.

As a side note, I'll be heading to Thailand in September for 5 months for all the reasons I stated above. See you out there maybe.
 

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I couldn't agree more with Johnny boy. While I enjoyed college and could have "done more" with my degree, I now wish I would've skipped college at 18, and instead read everything by MJ DeMarco, Russell Brunson, and a few more, and moved to Thailand, even if only temporarily.

Assuming your business or teaching English online or something can sustain you out there, the worst that can happen is you spend too much and have to head home and work a normal job for a while to regroup. You're young and have plenty of time to recover from any mistakes you make, so this isn't even that big of a deal.

On the other hand, the benefits of going, especially at such a young age, are many. For one, you'll be exposed to entrepreneurs and an entrepreneurial community, which is hard to do in just about anyone's hometown. Second, you'll be able to make entrepreneurial friends and attend workshops, conferences, masterminds, and more where you can learn and be exposed to new business ideas you hadn't considered.

There are many more reasons to go but that should be enough for now.

Even if 75% of the people there don't have businesses yet, you'll at least be surrounded by people who are trying, reading, experimenting, learning, and hungry for success. There's a reason those people are there, because Thailand is a great incubator for budding online entrepreneurs.

You're young. Take a (calculated) chance. Learn marketing and sales, and surround yourself with people on a similar mission however you can.

As a side note, I'll be heading to Thailand in September for 5 months for all the reasons I stated above. See you out there maybe.

I might see you there! This winter I'll be traveling around
 

MattR82

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Why Thailand specifically? I'm sure there are plenty of inexpensive spots in Europe.

Edit: Digital nomadism is overrated. Whenever I travel, I never get any work done. I'd rather settle in an inexpensive spot and take some vacations like normal people, but do whatever suits you. Don't fall for the hype unless it really behooves your capabilities.
Totally agree. But he isn't traveling though. He is staying in the one spot in thailand.
 
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MattR82

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I love Thailand. However, I find it smarter to build my skills first.
I agree with sticking with the education and foregoing your wanderlust (something I had done up until about 6m ago, now been to Thailand 2x, Japan, & Hongkong). The trips were worth every penny because it makes you more interesting and increases your value. If even that value is making you a better conversationalist with a unique experience.

This said, why do I think you should stick with the education? Farang (foreign white) men in general get paid far above Thai locals; if you have some business degree and skills to help a hotel out. However, travel to Thailand (particularly with recent political issues) has its up's and down's, and can impact available jobs/job security.

What I have personally done to allow myself (hopefully) to travel and live in Thailand (or probably Singapore because exchange rate is better & greater opportunities):
1. Got my Accounting Degree
2. Worked over 5yr in Accounting (Staff Accountant, now Senior Accountant, & Controller position is within reach)
3. Got my CPA
4. Halfway through my MBA
5. Networked/Networking like crazy (still should be doing more)
6. Made myself super busy learning/studying new skills to save money & invest in myself (so far 20K saved, but I also have 2 rental properties & paid for grad school fully in cash)

I'm far from 'successful', always room for improvement, but what I'm saying is ... it's a hell of a lot easier if you establish yourself in USA/Europe/CAN/AU/etc. before moving.

My plan is to hopefully be an interim Controller/CFO for US based organizations with plants located abroad for 3-6m periods. Or even be interim Controller in the US, make money 9m a year, learn a new skill/travel in low cost areas across Asia the next 3m.

Just.. set yourself up for success first! I'm ~28yr old, and still being patient for another year (MBA completed then), until I'm ready to take the leap. Perhaps knowing this is what you want, you can shave off a year or two by working hard and building your resume with this as an end goal.
Wtf why would he want a J.O.B. in Thailand? He should finish his degree so he has a better chance at getting a job in thailand? I think you misunderstood his post.

OP - just go man. It sounds like you are only planning on doing it for 6 months and can afford for/have budgeted that. The most important thing is to find the best coworking space and community, and what time of the year is best (it's not always all year round).

Bali is by far the best but also the most expensive. Chiang mai is probably the cheapest, but if you have asthma or slight respiratory problems, research burning season. Then there is koh hub in koh lanta. I haven't been but have heard it's great, but completely dead in rainy season. So in your case it sounds like Chiang mai would be the winner.
 
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ExaltedLife

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I'd say your priority ought to be improving your website and your selling strategy. You have a viable product but your website doesn't sell. Learn sales and copywriting while you apply what you learn to your business, and I bet your income will grow more than enough to pay for your move by the the time your placement is done.
 

Singularity73

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I've actually taken the time now to have a little bit of a closer look at your app.
Thanks for taking the time! Really appreciate your feedback here.
The design is very nice. But it is very counter-intuitive to use. I was trying to create a quiz/survey and had no idea how to complete it.
Oh no! Do you understand the principal behind the app? It's basically a board game + questions which are the quiz part, so gamified quizzes. You upload a background, place the spaces where you want the players to move (click the green "Add a Space" button then drag it around), then add the questions. You launch the game on a shared device which everyone can see (like a Smart board in a classroom) and players (the students) join on their own devices. Students will see the questions on their device and their avatar will be shown on the game board. Answer the question right, your avatar moves forwards and answer wrong and it moves backwards - the movement is configurable when you design the game - click on the "Player movement" button.
I do have a help button on the game builder page, but I guess I should look into other ways to communicate how to use it, or maybe redesign some things.
Also, it is very misleading that the quizzes are called "games".
Hmm yeah I guess I called it that because there are two aspects: the quiz/questions and the game board. So I called them games as they're like gamified quizzes. I'll ask around and see what people think about renaming.
are you clear on who your target customer is?
I'm just targeting teachers, I know this isn't very specific. Not sure how to niche it down as I have a wide variety of teachers currently using it.
are you clear on your business model? For example: why would somebody pay to upgrade to the pay feature?
I'm going with the freemium business model. Teachers can use the software for free but with restrictions. If they think the paid features look good or they need to support larger classes, then they would pay (at least that's the idea) to upgrade. In version 2 there is also "Quiznetic for Schools" which gives a discounted price for 5+ teachers as well as larger capacity games (50 players), possibly more features coming in the future.
are you clear on your positioning? How is this any different from any other quiz software (as there are a lot of other options out there).
I'm not aware of any software that does exactly what mine does (the whole design a game board to go along with the questions thing). Teachers like to have a variety of tools under their belt to engage students, so I see mine as another one of those tools.
are you clear on how you want to get this to the point where it covers your expenses? As in, do you have any idea how to acquire more paying users?
I've only just thought about running Facebook ads and things like that. Also I could try reaching out to schools to see if they're interested in it.
My guess is that you spend lots of time coding and hardly any time working on the business side of things (i.e. creating revenue).
lol you're right about that, I love coding I can't help it! :happy: As I release v2 and it becomes stable I'll start setting more and more time on the business side.
Spend a few hours a week figuring out how to actually make money from this business without changing anything about your current living situation.
Will do, thanks so much for all the feedback and questions!
 
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SeanC

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All kinds of perspectives here... well, here's mine.

I'm basically doing what you want to do - expat, digital nomad, whatever the hip term is today.

I did finish my degree first (then worked for almost a decade). Was it worth it?

Well, it'll help you save some money while you rot in a slowlane job. That saved money comes in handy when you get hit with random unexpected bills overseas, or need some time to figure things out.

That said, if you're the type that has the ambition and discipline, two years + uni money reinvested into yourself can get you hella far.

In my case, living in South America for $12 a day was the only way I could pivot my career to the starting steps of finally doing what I want to do. It's cheap living, and you can get by on entry-level online jobs for quite a while. Frees up time to study or work on your business or skillset.

Anyway, here's what I'd say if you want to do the same thing:

1. Try to save some money first. At least a few thousand (USD). The more you have, the longer you have to try things out - there will be failures.

2. Setup some kind of backup plan, in case it doesn't work. Do you have a friend's couch you can crash on for a month or two if you come home and it all blows up - worst case scenario?

3. Many will disagree - but I see most degrees as bullshit.

The top winners aren't using a degree (or its knowledge). They learned sales, people skills, and invested a ton of time.

On the other hand, I know plenty of people with degrees who aren't using them (because they couldn't find a job - now they're screwed with student loans).

I'm not using my degree at all for my current line of work. It was a complete waste, unless you count the money it let me save (which was far, far, less than the degree cost).

4. Being around other people in Thailand doing the same thing lets you network, but many of them are struggling.

Networking with other people struggling won't get you too far.

The good people probably won't want to network unless you can prove value. Not saying it's impossible, but great networking connections aren't guaranteed - the more you can offer, the better opportunities you'll have.

5. Get yourself in the freelancer marketplace ASAP. I get most of my leads from Facebook digital nomad groups, but Upwork/etc. also works for some.

In many parts of the world, you can get by with 20 or so hours of freelance work per week. $1000-1500 a month gives you a decent quality of life.

That leaves you with extra time to work on the longer-term business, grow your skills, keeps your costs covered, and gives you some cushion when things fail.

Obviously working for others isn't the end goal, but it keeps the ship sailing until you sight land. It might connect you with people who will be critical for your business later.

In any case, it helps you develop skills you'll need. Don't turn your nose up at a short stint working for others.

6. Churn credit cards for the points. I haven't paid for a flight yet.

7. Do it sooner than later. If you try it, hate it, or miserably fail - you're still young. You can get by with less. It's more socially acceptable at 20 than 30 to live at your parents or with a friend if things don't work out.

There's no questionable resume gap, if you go back to the slow lane.

It'll be more (or a different kind of) fun now than it will be in ten years.

8. It's fun. Why not have some fun while you work on your goals.

It can also be really, REALLY hard. That's good. It gives you a ton of life experience, hardens you, develops you.

Living in Mom's basement to save costs is also hard, but doesn't have the same benefits.

Anyway, that's my two cents. I say do it. Get out there and try it. Fail maybe. See what works for you. You have all the time in the world to recover if it doesn't work out. That's a luxury you might not have in five or ten years.
 

Mission1

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@TimTheCoder Should you quit university?

That depends on:
- what degree you're studying
- how much it costs you per year
- what you're going to do instead
- how unhappy you are

People tell you to "stay in school" because they care about you and are concerned for your future. Finishing your degree (versus not finishing) is the most reliable way to better your life. In England you can't go wrong by going to college.

Therefore, you need to treat your family and teachers like you would skeptical investors. You need to make a rock-solid plan and start executing on it. Quiting is quiting. Instead, build your business to a level where you can say "look people, I'm getting $4000 sales per month and I can't do school at the same time".

My tough advice is: Finish your damn degree. You're half-way through a computer science degree and you enjoy programming. Therefore this suggests you're unmotivated or directionless. It should be easy for you to get a "pass" grade in all your classes in less than 20 hours per week. The extra time is enough for starting any business. Take classes that interest you, or have the lowest work-load, or are project-based. The benefits of getting your degree certificate outweigh the negatives, however you need to re-frame your perspective of the computer science degree. And, you need to leverage your contact with Professors, fellow students and alumni.

Regarding your business: You need to evaluate your customers and scaling-potential before you invest any more time or money. Do some research on the history of other niche educational product companies and larger companies like Udacity. Personally I think knowledge should be very low-cost, which means low-margin (e.g. Udacity) or must be very valuable (e.g. Masterclass) or be very convenient AND effective (e.g. DuoLingo app). The state government provides a K-12 home-school education program for zero dollars. You can watch a degree-worth of mathematics or computer science on YouTube for zero dollars.
You're obviously a smart guy so I encourage you to "think bigger". Who do you want to be? Who are your rolemodels? Once you answer that question then seek-out 1-2 similar people (mentors) in England.

Regarding Thailand: Did you go straight to university after completing 12 years of school? If yes, then you never had time to think and just do nothing. Be honest with yourself. Do you just want to quit college, run away to Thailand and have some adventure? That's great, just be honest with yourself. So take one semester holiday with no expectations. See new places, have fun and meet new people. Learn about yourself.

Travel during Uni: Ask your university about "overseas exchange" or "study abroad" programs. Maybe you can study in another country for one or two semesters and get credit for your degree. Some schools even give you an automatic "pass" or "credit" for the time you're at the foreign university! You can use this experience as a way to take an overseas holiday while still graduating on time, or you can network with specific people or companies that are of interest to you. It's a great way to "get your foot in the door" in high-tech countries like Germany, Korea, Japan or the United States.

I was in a similar situation myself, as were my family and friends. You're welcome to message me.
 
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