My History (many failures)

[try_hard]

Hi,

I live in France and I'm planning to become a digital nomad.
I'm a 35-year-old developer. Before becoming a dev, I tried many thing — with a lot of failures.

• 2013: Sold digital books on Amazon (making like 100$/month)
• 2014: Created an editorial service (stopped — clients were only paying $5–10 per article).
• 2015: Tried to build Android apps using templates (I should’ve learned to code).
• 2015: Launched an eCommerce store (condiment food). Made ~$500/month, but I hated the business and quit.
• 2016: Dropshipping — worst business I ever tried. I followed the trend, and once it died, so did my store.
• 2017: eCommerce again (phone parts & accessories, real stock + brand). It worked a bit (made ~$2,000 profit). I should’ve continued, but I gave up too early.
• 2023: Tried Amazon KDP — too many competitors, low profit, tired of selling physical product and always stress about stock.

Between 2013 - 2017, I worked many low salary jobs.

• 2018–2020: Learned to code and studied AI — a good decision.
• 2021–Now: Working as a developer (freelancer then 9–5 job).
• Now: I'm tired of the 9–5. It's driving me crazy. I want out.

I’ve tried around 10 businesses.​

Only 2 of them made me arround $500 - 2000$ / month.

Here are the main mistakes I made:

- Reading The 4-Hour Workweek (Tim Ferriss), my "first business book I read" -> Worst Worst mistake I have ever made, The book is fine if you already have a working business and want to optimize your time.
- Following trends (crypto, dropshipping, print on demand, AI Bot)
- Being naïve about "make money online" content, Most of it is just bullshit people selling courses. They make money by teaching, not by doing.
- Lack of focus, never built momentum in one industry.
- Focus en scalable business than physical business.
- No hard work : When I tried launching businesses, I only worked ~20 hours/week. But to succeed, you need to push 80h/week not 4h/week

The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco. No fluff. Just real advice, no BS. Helped me reset my mindset completely.

And Now ?
- No more hype
- 1 Project at a time
- Real value first (if there is no AI it is ok, AI just help)
- Compress time: 3 months to validate the idea, find users, and make money
- Marketing & sales are essential — not optional
- Find a problem, make a quick solution, selling, iterate.
- Make something big. Start small.

I haven’t had much success in business yet, but I’ve learned a lot., the difference ? I have coding skills and past failures. In 2025 I will try to come back strong

I forget: be careful of 9-5 job, if they fire you, you will become poor in few month or weeks. It happens to me a lot.

Thanks for reading.
If you have any advice, I’m open

 

Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member: Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)

[alexkuzmov]

Jo,

O mowi op Gsepdi epf O'n qmeppoph vu ciduni e fohovem punef.
O'n e 35-zies-umf fiwimuqis. Cigusi cidunoph e fiw, O vsoif nepz vjoph — xovj e muv ug geomasit.

• 2013: Tumf fohovem cuult up Enebup (neloph moli 100$/nupvj)
• 2013: Dsievif ep ifovusoem tiswodi (tvuqqif — dmoipvt xisi upmz qezoph $5–10 qis esvodmi).
• 2014: Vsoif vu caomf Epfsuof eqqt atoph vinqmevit (O tjuamf’wi miespif vu dufi).
• 2014: Meapdjif ep iDunnisdi tvusi (dupfonipv guuf). Nefi ~$500/nupvj, cav O jevif vji catopitt epf raov.
• 2015: Fsuqtjoqqoph — xustv catopitt O iwis vsoif. O gummuxif vji vsipf, epf updi ov foif, tu fof nz tvusi.
• 2017: iDunnisdi eheop (qjupi qesvt & eddittusoit, siem tvudl + csepf). Ov xuslif e cov (nefi ~$2,000 qsugov). O tjuamf’wi dupvopaif, cav O hewi aq vuu iesmz.
• 2023: Vsoif Enebup LFQ — vuu nepz dunqivovust, mux qsugov, vosif ug timmoph qjztodem qsufadv epf emxezt tvsitt ecuav tvudl.

Civxiip 2013 - 2017, O xuslif nepz mux temesz kuct.

• 2018–2020: Miespif vu dufi epf tvafoif EO — e huuf fidotoup.
• 2021–Pux: Xusloph et e fiwimuqis (gsiimepdis vjip 9–5 kuc).
• Pux: O'n vosif ug vji 9–5. Ov't fsowoph ni dsebz. O xepv uav.

O’wi vsoif esuapf 10 catopittit.​

Upmz 2 ug vjin nefi ni essuapf $500 - 2000$ / nupvj.

Jisi esi vji neop notvelit O nefi:

- Siefoph Vji 4-Juas Xuslxiil (Von Gissott), nz "gostv catopitt cuul O sief" -> Xustv Xustv notveli O jewi iwis nefi, Vji cuul ot gopi og zua emsiefz jewi e xusloph catopitt epf xepv vu uqvonobi zuas voni.
- Gummuxoph vsipft (dszqvu, fsuqtjoqqoph, qsopv up finepf, EO Cuv)
- Cioph peïwi ecuav "neli nupiz upmopi" dupvipv, Nutv ug ov ot katv cammtjov qiuqmi timmoph duastit. Vjiz neli nupiz cz viedjoph, puv cz fuoph.
- Medl ug gudat, piwis caomv nunipvan op upi opfatvsz.
- Gudat ip tdemecmi catopitt vjep qjztodem catopitt.
- Pu jesf xusl : Xjip O vsoif meapdjoph catopittit, O upmz xuslif ~20 juast/xiil. Cav vu taddiif, zua piif vu qatj 80j/xiil puv 4j/xiil

Vji Nommoupeosi Getvmepi cz NK FiNesdu. Pu gmagg. Katv siem efwodi, pu CT. Jimqif ni sitiv nz nopftiv dunqmivimz.

Epf Pux ?
- Pu nusi jzqi
- 1 Qsukidv ev e voni
- Siem wemai gostv (og vjisi ot pu EO ov ot ul, EO katv jimq)
- Dunqsitt voni: 3 nupvjt vu wemofevi vji ofie, gopf atist, epf neli nupiz
- Neslivoph & temit esi ittipvoem — puv uqvoupem
- Gopf e qsucmin, neli e raodl tumavoup, timmoph, ovisevi.
- Neli tunivjoph coh. Tvesv tnemm.

O jewip’v jef nadj tadditt op catopitt ziv, cav O’wi miespif e muv., vji foggisipdi ? O jewi dufoph tlommt epf qetv geomasit. Op 2025 O xomm vsz vu duni cedl tvsuph

O gushiv: ci desigam ug 9-5 kuc, og vjiz gosi zua, zua xomm ciduni quus op gix nupvj us xiilt. Ov jeqqipt vu ni e muv.

Vjeplt gus siefoph.
Og zua jewi epz efwodi, O’n uqip

Ximduni!
O fupv lpux og O jewi epz efwodi gus zua, cav On op e tonomes tquv op nz kuaspiz, tu O vuvemmz hiv zuas optohjvt.

On dassipvmz miespoph jux vu nesliv epf wemofevi ofiet vuu: IYIDAVOUP - GIIFCEDL - Wemofevoph catopitt ofiet, gohasoph ov uav

 

[DareDevil]

Xjev geomasit , geomasit fup'v iyotv vjuti esi katv giifcedlt , zua natv jewi qodlif aq tlommt , iyqisoipdi gsun vjuti evvinqvt ,
O en tadj e geomasi ot e nusupod tdjuum/huw iphopiisif vjoph vu tvuq qiuqmi gsun veloph sotlt
Ov ot emm giifcedl vu nuwi vuxesft e mitt xsuph qevj