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Looking For a Strong Foundation (18yrs old)

Cruzin

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Jan 11, 2022
14
13
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Wagwan Y'all! My name is a mouthful, I know. N will suffice.

After existing here for less than 12 hours, this forum has proven valuable in the ways most important to me. Never before have I seen so many people dedicated to improving lives, their own or others, in a central space. Call it an oasis, a haven from oceans of sand littered with deceptive illusions of diamonds and gold. To say I'm eager to join the family is an understatement. Hopefully, this doesn't turn into a full-blown autobiography, but lock-in just in case 'cuz I tend to lose myself when writing.

All right, let's take it from the top.

I was born and raised in the Midwest of the United States, and unfortunately, I'm still stuck here at 18.

My parents immigrated from the Caribbean to the U.S and created a stable life for themselves, not extravagant lavishness or anything, but enough to put clothes on my back and food on the table. That's a blessing in itself, and so is watching them drive the slow lane from the backseat. But more on that later.

I had a sheltered childhood, and that's the soundest way of possibly putting it. The fine details are nonessential, but my interpersonal skills were on the brink of extinction.

Year after year, I failed to escape the steel box I was stuffed inside "for my good.". I thought those four walls would be my eternal prison, so I made it my home.

Until the summer before my Freshman year of high school, I allowed myself to grow accustomed to the introverted life I loathed deep down. I forged and proudly wore a mask of smiles :). What were another four years?

However, I woke up to the only life I'd ever known, now hours North. As I slept, an Amazon shipping label found its way onto my metal box, whisking me to a different part of the state to continue my education. You can't blow a whistle for being relocated without your approval.

I spent the following years of my high school career under the radar, a submarine beneath the waves of backpacks. Along the way, I developed a few more masks to wear and a taste for technology, specifically computer systems. The arrival of C0VlD-19 was the catalyst for my new interest, especially since I had to rely entirely on computers for my Junior and Senior years.

After graduating at 17, I'll happily admit I was lost. I'd never once gone out in the last four years, nor did I have friends to help get that ball rolling. I could claim nothing of the sort and lost interest in searching. So that brings up to the present-day version of me.

I'd be lying if I said this was anywhere near my complete life story, but I hate opening up in general. Maybe I'll become comfortable enough to be less concise in the future.

Currently, I'm a full-time college student majoring in Cybersecurity. I have zero work experience and a strong desire to start on the right foot...and in the right lane. My short-term goal right now is to apply for an internship with the FBI in the Fall and gain experience.

Long term? I have no f*cking clue.

Will I create and sell software? Become an international spy? Maybe I banked too much on the internship going my way, but that's another reason why I'm here. I realize I'm young, all the more reason to get as big of a headstart as I can. In the right direction, of course.

My self-improvement journey started a week ago, and that's how I came across MJ. His unicorn may have been a Lamborghini Countach, but since 2013, mine has been a McLaren P1. Last year, I had the honor of seeing one in person for the first time. The ocean blue exotic stole my breath, and my burning desire for one grew wilder with every pic I took of it. Heh, lemme pump the breaks before I start ranting. But if I ever get the pleasure of talking to you one on one, @MJ DeMarco , be prepared if the conversation merges to exotic cars. The sun will have clocked out by the time I finish. Just a fair warning.

So now the story of this black sheep is a little more than a careless whisper in the wind. As far as I can tell, I'm the first in my family (immediate and extended) to realize the Fastlane isn't a gimmick or facade. I count myself lucky to have become aware of the control I have over my future at such a young age, and I hope I'll find what I need to make the most of today for tomorrow.

Much love!

~N
 
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Last edited:

MJ DeMarco

I followed the science; all I found was money.
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college student majoring in Cybersecurity.

An excellent growing field, for either a job, or a business.

be prepared if the conversation merges to exotic cars.

Unfortunately you will probably find the conversation boring, the older and wiser I get, the less interest I have in exotic cars.

Welcome to the forum.
 

Cruzin

New Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
93%
Jan 11, 2022
14
13
United States
An excellent growing field, for either a job, or a business.
So I've heard. It's early, but I want to learn as much as I can about what skills will retain or increase in value as time goes on.


Unfortunately you will probably find the conversation boring, the older and wiser I get, the less interest I have in exotic cars.
Boring or not, conversation is conversation, especially if I can learn something. For example, how to acquire such cars while I’m young enough to care.

Thanks for the warm welcome.
 
D

DeletedUser84644

Guest
Wagwan Y'all! My name is a mouthful, I know. N will suffice.

After existing here for less than 12 hours, this forum has proven valuable in the ways most important to me. Never before have I seen so many people dedicated to improving lives, their own or others, in a central space. Call it an oasis, a haven from oceans of sand littered with deceptive illusions of diamonds and gold. To say I'm eager to join the family is an understatement. Hopefully, this doesn't turn into a full-blown autobiography, but lock-in just in case 'cuz I tend to lose myself when writing.

All right, let's take it from the top.

I was born and raised in the Midwest of the United States, and unfortunately, I'm still stuck here at 18.

My parents immigrated from the Caribbean to the U.S and created a stable life for themselves, not extravagant lavishness or anything, but enough to put clothes on my back and food on the table. That's a blessing in itself, and so is watching them drive the slow lane from the backseat. But more on that later.

I had a sheltered childhood, and that's the soundest way of possibly putting it. The fine details are nonessential, but my interpersonal skills were on the brink of extinction.

Year after year, I failed to escape the steel box I was stuffed inside "for my good.". I thought those four walls would be my eternal prison, so I made it my home.

Until the summer before my Freshman year of high school, I allowed myself to grow accustomed to the introverted life I loathed deep down. I forged and proudly wore a mask of smiles :). What were another four years?

However, I woke up to the only life I'd ever known, now hours North. As I slept, an Amazon shipping label found its way onto my metal box, whisking me to a different part of the state to continue my education. You can't blow a whistle for being relocated without your approval.

I spent the following years of my high school career under the radar, a submarine beneath the waves of backpacks. Along the way, I developed a few more masks to wear and a taste for technology, specifically computer systems. The arrival of C0VlD-19 was the catalyst for my new interest, especially since I had to rely entirely on computers for my Junior and Senior years.

After graduating at 17, I'll happily admit I was lost. I'd never once gone out in the last four years, nor did I have friends to help get that ball rolling. I could claim nothing of the sort and lost interest in searching. So that brings up to the present-day version of me.

I'd be lying if I said this was anywhere near my complete life story, but I hate opening up in general. Maybe I'll become comfortable enough to be less concise in the future.

Currently, I'm a full-time college student majoring in Cybersecurity. I have zero work experience and a strong desire to start on the right foot...and in the right lane. My short-term goal right now is to apply for an internship with the FBI in the Fall and gain experience.

Long term? I have no f*cking clue.

Will I create and sell software? Become an international spy? Maybe I banked too much on the internship going my way, but that's another reason why I'm here. I realize I'm young, all the more reason to get as big of a headstart as I can. In the right direction, of course.

My self-improvement journey started a week ago, and that's how I came across MJ. His unicorn may have been a Lamborghini Countach, but since 2013, mine has been a McLaren P1. Last year, I had the honor of seeing one in person for the first time. The ocean blue exotic stole my breath, and my burning desire for one grew wilder with every pic I took of it. Heh, lemme pump the breaks before I start ranting. But if I ever get the pleasure of talking to you one on one, @MJ DeMarco , be prepared if the conversation merges to exotic cars. The sun will have clocked out by the time I finish. Just a fair warning.

So now the story of this black sheep is a little more than a careless whisper in the wind. As far as I can tell, I'm the first in my family (immediate and extended) to realize the Fastlane isn't a gimmick or facade. I count myself lucky to have become aware of the control I have over my future at such a young age, and I hope I'll find what I need to make the most of today for tomorrow.

Much love!

~N
Imo you need to have a slowlane going on first before you can even make the switch to a fastlane. I can relate to the immense desire of wanting to get started on the fastlane as fast as possible, but unless you want to live with your parents until you're 40, you are most definitely gonna want to focus on attaining decent self-sufficiency first (As well as building out your circle of competence as you are doing now along the way with studying cyber security). Otherwise, the only kind of business ventures you can start are ones where you're selling / marketing someone else's product / service (Think retailers, whole sellers, e commerce, convenience stores, movie theaters, clothing stores, etc)

So if you can't make a product / service or hire / rent an individual or company to do so for you, then you do not have a business.

The kind of business models where you are just being the seller of a product and not a maker, is much easier to get into in terms of Founder market fit. But still, you don't want to limit your circle of competence to only being able to execute those kinds of business ventures. For this is the exact stage of your life right now where you need to learn as much about everything as possible (Think STEM and other useful skill sets that can help you become a producer). Especially study basic accounting, negotiating, selling, how raising capital works, etc. Need business advice? Stop by at your local small business development center. Need legal advice? Find the cheapest local law firm you can afford, if not, then try getting it online via some platforms like Zoom for example. Same thing goes for getting tax advice. It's almost always cheaper to get legal / tax advice online. Having trouble with finding an idea? Wrong! you don't find ideas, you just emulate already existing ideas with better or different execution instead (Try to be better, faster, cheaper, put a spin on how things are normally done, etc.) Don't know how to execute on an idea? Determine if it's worth the time and money investment for you to learn how to make X product / service. If it'll take you years to learn and / or require you to break the bank, then it's probably not worth it (but that's a personal decision for you to make).
The only certainty you need in an idea's viability is if it has product market fit (which is why copying an already existing idea is so powerful. Which basically means that the only way the business venture can fail is through mediocre execution)

If the business venture you are looking to pursue has product market fit and founder market fit, then you have a business. If not, then you don't have a business.
When starting a business, it always starts with the product / service at hand as leanly as possible first, and the office space, business cards, accounting, HR, employees, and all of the other bells and whistles later. So product / service first, and then the formal business organizational structure second. Having the means to create a product / service is always the hardest part of any business, the formal business organizational structure can easily be figured out later on as you go with building up the business. I hope that helps ;)
 
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Last edited by a moderator:

Cruzin

New Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
93%
Jan 11, 2022
14
13
United States
Imo you need to have a slowlane going on first before you can even make the switch to a fastlane. I can relate to the immense desire of wanting to get started on the fastlane as fast as possible, but unless you want to live with your parents until you're 40, you are most definitely gonna want to focus on attaining decent self-sufficiency first (As well as building out your circle of competence as you are doing now along the way with studying cyber security). Otherwise, the only kind of business ventures you can start are ones where you're selling / marketing someone else's product / service (Think retailers, whole sellers, e commerce, convenience stores, movie theaters, clothing stores, etc)

So if you can't make a product / service or hire / rent an individual or company to do so for you, then you do not have a business.

The kind of business models where you are just being the seller of a product and not a maker, is much easier to get into in terms of Founder market fit. But still, you don't want to limit your circle of competence to only being able to execute those kinds of business ventures. For this is the exact stage of your life right now where you need to learn as much about everything as possible (Think STEM and other useful skill sets that can help you become a producer). Especially study basic accounting, negotiating, selling, how raising capital works, etc. Need business advice? Stop by at your local small business development center. Need legal advice? Find the cheapest local law firm you can afford, if not, then try getting it online via some platforms like Zoom for example. Same thing goes for getting tax advice. It's almost always cheaper to get legal / tax advice online. Having trouble with finding an idea? Wrong! you don't find ideas, you just emulate already existing ideas with better or different execution instead (Try to be better, faster, cheaper, put a spin on how things are normally done, etc.) Don't know how to execute on an idea? Determine if it's worth the time and money investment for you to learn how to make X product / service. If it'll take you years to learn and / or require you to break the bank, then it's probably not worth it (but that's a personal decision for you to make).
The only certainty you need in an idea's viability is if it has product market fit (which is why copying an already existing idea is so powerful. Which basically means that the only way the business venture can fail is through mediocre execution)

If the business venture you are looking to pursue has product market fit and founder market fit, then you have a business. If not, then you don't have a business.
When starting a business, it always starts with the product / service at hand as leanly as possible first, and the office space, business cards, accounting, HR, employees, and all of the other bells and whistles later. So product / service first, and then the formal business organizational structure second. Having the means to create a product / service is always the hardest part of any business, the formal business organizational structure can easily be figured out later on as you go with building up the business. I hope that helps ;)
Thanks for the insight FauxPas, it definitely puts a lot of things into perspective.

So, I shouldn't stomp on the throttle when I have low horsepower. I'm at a point where gathering specialized/general skills, both cyber and business-related, is paramount. Beyond attaining financial independence, I should also start learning about what markets I could possibly enter, and what said market desires. From there, develop a product/service of some kind first. Then, once the product has proven to be desirable and profitable, worry about the formal structure and "bells and whistles".

Did I get that right?
 
D

DeletedUser84644

Guest
Thanks for the insight FauxPas, it definitely puts a lot of things into perspective.

So, I shouldn't stomp on the throttle when I have low horsepower. I'm at a point where gathering specialized/general skills, both cyber and business-related, is paramount. Beyond attaining financial independence, I should also start learning about what markets I could possibly enter, and what said market desires. From there, develop a product/service of some kind first. Then, once the product has proven to be desirable and profitable, worry about the formal structure and "bells and whistles".

Did I get that right?
Yes man, you have absolutely got it. You have all of the validation and know how you need on how to get started. Success always starts in the mind first before it can come out externally. You could be taught how to fight a war from head to toe, but if you are not equipped with the right kind of mindset / psychology when it comes to handling with fighting a war, then you are destined for failure. It's your mind that is primarily responsible for your success. Like seriously, we would otherwise be inanimate objects without it. But if you need even more mental clarity, then feel free to check out my thread that addresses some of the most common mental road blocks that people who aspire to get started are facing: MINDSET - Are you dying in misery on how to figure out how to get started? Then please! Do save yourself from that soul crushing agony with this thread!
Believe in yourself. Know that you can do it. You've got this!
 

Cruzin

New Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
93%
Jan 11, 2022
14
13
United States
Yes man, you have absolutely got it. You have all of the validation and know how you need on how to get started. Success always starts in the mind first before it can come out externally. You could be taught how to fight a war from head to toe, but if you are not equipped with the right kind of mindset / psychology when it comes to handling with fighting a war, then you are destined for failure. It's your mind that is primarily responsible for your success. Like seriously, we would otherwise be inanimate objects without it. But if you need even more mental clarity, then feel free to check out my thread that addresses some of the most common mental road blocks that people who aspire to get started are facing: MINDSET - Are you dying in misery on how to figure out how to get started? Then please! Do save yourself from that soul crushing agony with this thread!
Believe in yourself. Know that you can do it. You've got this!
I'll check it out for sure, 'preciate you helping me out!
 
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D

DeletedUser84644

Guest
I'll check it out for sure, 'preciate you helping me out!
No problem. It's why I'm here. I myself was once lost in being stuck in that situation of not knowing how and where to get started and all of the emotional pain and agony that came with it. But after doing a lot of countless hours of thought experiments, research, and soup searching, I had finally managed to figured out all of the holy grain answers to all of those soul crushing problems and burning questions that I was facing. I know what it's like to be in that situation with exact precision (Because I've been in that place for a year and a half of my life). Be glad now that you have finally found someone that had been able to spare you from all of that potential heartache and misery that you would have otherwise taken years to figure out.
 

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