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- Jan 24, 2014
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For the majority of my mid-teens, Runescape was my life.
For those of you who are unaware, Runescape (RS) is a massively multiplayer on-line roleplaying game (MMORPG) set in a fictional world where you can roam around, performing quests, leveling skills and wasting ungodly amounts of time. The game has a comprehensive, self-managing economy, with various resources being sold to be made into goods, goods being sold to slay monsters for treasure, and treasure being flaunted by the rich to impress other 13 year olds. It may sound like the biggest time-waster in history (and it is) but it actually taught me the basics of business without me knowing it for 10 years.
I spent the first few years of my RS career as a pauper. I could barely afford anything of value, and would float about trying to raise money by slaving away at the same thing for hours and generally not enjoying myself. I would cut trees for logs for 4 hours, fish for lobsters, pick flax, bake cakes, all for chump change. "How do you make money?" was one of my most frequent questions to anyone who came near me wearing anything of value. 9 times out of 10, their response would be "Merching" before running away from the lowly peasant that was me.
Merching? What do they mean?
It took months before someone explained it to me. "They buy things cheap and sell them for more". I thought it sounded ridiculous. Why would someone sell something for less than what it was worth? Why would someone pay more? It didn't make sense to me. Regardless, I thought I'd try it.
I approached someone who was leveling one of their skills by just going at it for countless hours. Because they spent so long training, they didn't have time to sell the products they were creating, or they would waste valuable training time. I offered to buy everything they created for 75% of market value, whenever they had a spare minute. They agreed.
I spent 200k on one product. My entire bank. I was petrified. Nervously, I withdrew the items from my bank, and made my way to the main marketplace of the game. I typed my for sale message, sent it out to the world, and waited. And waited. I began to worry. I sent out another message. Waited.
BOOM! Trade request.
I offered up my items, and the potential buyer sent me his cash offer. 250k. He clicked accept. I clicked accept. I was 50k richer.
Relief flooded through me. I'd made 1/4 of my ENTIRE life savings in less than 15 minutes! I quickly messaged my supplier, and he told me he had another 200k worth to sell me. I picked them up ten minutes later, returned to the marketplace, and sold them on to the same guy for another 250k. 100k in 35 minutes. I'd cracked the code to wealth....
I never understood the gravity of this realisation until I was 22 years old. Nearing the end of my degree, staring 45 years of drudgery in the eyes. It was going to be just like when I played RS, slaving away at the same thing, every day, for hours on end, just to scrape by. Then, I came across a little book called "The Millionaire Fastlane " by @MJ DeMarco. I read it. I read it again. I lent it to my friends. I read it a third time.
"This is just like in Runescape! I know how to do this!"
And, just like that, I began to implement the principles I learnt in a silly computer game to real life. I began to bring in products from China, advertise them in an Australian marketplace, and bask in the profits. My first month of business saw $450AUD in sales, my second $800, my third $2000. And the best part? I have more fun doing this then I ever had playing computer games.
For those of you who are unaware, Runescape (RS) is a massively multiplayer on-line roleplaying game (MMORPG) set in a fictional world where you can roam around, performing quests, leveling skills and wasting ungodly amounts of time. The game has a comprehensive, self-managing economy, with various resources being sold to be made into goods, goods being sold to slay monsters for treasure, and treasure being flaunted by the rich to impress other 13 year olds. It may sound like the biggest time-waster in history (and it is) but it actually taught me the basics of business without me knowing it for 10 years.
I spent the first few years of my RS career as a pauper. I could barely afford anything of value, and would float about trying to raise money by slaving away at the same thing for hours and generally not enjoying myself. I would cut trees for logs for 4 hours, fish for lobsters, pick flax, bake cakes, all for chump change. "How do you make money?" was one of my most frequent questions to anyone who came near me wearing anything of value. 9 times out of 10, their response would be "Merching" before running away from the lowly peasant that was me.
Merching? What do they mean?
It took months before someone explained it to me. "They buy things cheap and sell them for more". I thought it sounded ridiculous. Why would someone sell something for less than what it was worth? Why would someone pay more? It didn't make sense to me. Regardless, I thought I'd try it.
I approached someone who was leveling one of their skills by just going at it for countless hours. Because they spent so long training, they didn't have time to sell the products they were creating, or they would waste valuable training time. I offered to buy everything they created for 75% of market value, whenever they had a spare minute. They agreed.
I spent 200k on one product. My entire bank. I was petrified. Nervously, I withdrew the items from my bank, and made my way to the main marketplace of the game. I typed my for sale message, sent it out to the world, and waited. And waited. I began to worry. I sent out another message. Waited.
BOOM! Trade request.
I offered up my items, and the potential buyer sent me his cash offer. 250k. He clicked accept. I clicked accept. I was 50k richer.
Relief flooded through me. I'd made 1/4 of my ENTIRE life savings in less than 15 minutes! I quickly messaged my supplier, and he told me he had another 200k worth to sell me. I picked them up ten minutes later, returned to the marketplace, and sold them on to the same guy for another 250k. 100k in 35 minutes. I'd cracked the code to wealth....
I never understood the gravity of this realisation until I was 22 years old. Nearing the end of my degree, staring 45 years of drudgery in the eyes. It was going to be just like when I played RS, slaving away at the same thing, every day, for hours on end, just to scrape by. Then, I came across a little book called "The Millionaire Fastlane " by @MJ DeMarco. I read it. I read it again. I lent it to my friends. I read it a third time.
"This is just like in Runescape! I know how to do this!"
And, just like that, I began to implement the principles I learnt in a silly computer game to real life. I began to bring in products from China, advertise them in an Australian marketplace, and bask in the profits. My first month of business saw $450AUD in sales, my second $800, my third $2000. And the best part? I have more fun doing this then I ever had playing computer games.
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