Progress thread: Fail and learn.

[Primzi]

Hey there. My name is Primoz and I am a 21-year old computer science student from Slovenia. In the past, I have often started things but never finished them, and I have decided to put a stop to this. I frequently work out, speed read books on my kindle and strive to be productive. I am also going through the second year of a BhD. By the time I've got my degree, I want to be running my own business and living off it, so that I can move to my own apartment. My vision is to be a multi-millionare by 30, and travel the world before that.

In the past few months, I have been trying to put together a business for making web pages together with 3 other people, but it failed because they did not have the fastlane mindset, were lazy and not willing to go the extra mile. The idea itself also was not a fastlane one since it had no scalability. So I decided to teach myself a couple of design related skills and set up a web-based fastlane business until the end of 2012. I do not quite have a clear idea what it will be yet, but as I learn about design and web development, I should stumble upon quite a few problems (needs) that similar people have. Then, I can make a business that will solve other people's problems.

This is a brief plan for 2012:

January: Learn how to create vector graphics in Adobe Illustrator
February: Enter 4 logo/vector graphics contects to push myself and improve my skills
March: Learn how to design in photoshop (with focus on web layouts)
April: Enter 4 web layout design contests and create 2 templates + put them on a marketplace
May: Learn web design (HTML, CSS, XHTML, CSS3, HTML5)
June: Code 4 templates and put them on a marketplace
July: Learn web development (JavaScript, PHP)
Avgust: Make 4 dynamic structures (like sliders, etc.) and put them on a marketplace
September: Brainstorm + test fastlane ideas
October: Select one fastlane idea and get it going
November: Get at least 3 paying customers for the idea
December: Get the idea out, expand it - using networking and word of mouth

There are some problems with my attitude, and some people might probably ask me why I do not go straight to making a fastlane business. I think I am most likely scared to go into a business with fairly little savings. That is why during the next year, I will attend some design contests and put some templates for sale on the www. While with this approach, I will be hoping to get some money, that is not really the purpose of it. The purpose is to push myself and become good at the newly-developed skills, and at least have a chance of making some money on the side instead of just desining some items and never putting them out in the world. I will also take some well-paid oppurtunities to design for family/friends/someone they know when they occur, and try to make some money with buying/selling items.

The main focus will however be on my goals and finishing the college, although keeping it a little versatile should help keep it interesting.

If you should have any suggestions on how to improve my attitude or any other kind of suggestions, please let me know as I am writing here to get other people's perspectives, identify my mistakes/failiures and learn to them.

So let's get to failing, faling and then failing some more!

Primoz

 

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[Brander]

Upi tahhitvoup "lumihe". Vu cseoptvusn ofiet xuamf ci vu hu iwiszxjisi xovj e qef epf qip epf xsovi ofiet fuxp sohjv exez. Vseop zuas nopf feomz vu vjopl et nadj et quttocmi - Iwisz fez xsovi fuxp ofiet.

Xsovi emm ofiet zua dep vjopl ug (hu dsebz epf vjopl ug iwip dunqmivimz apsiemotvod tdipesout) apvom zua deppuv vjopl ug epz nusi. Vjip vsz vu xsovi fuxp vjsii vu vip nusi. Jewi e tmiiq epf vji piyv fez vjisi xomm ci ev mietv 10-20 nusi ofiet vjev xomm quq opvu zuas jief qsudittif cz zuas tacduptdouat nopf fasoph vji pohjv.

Og pu ofiet duni vu zua ev emm, tvuq. Hu fu tunivjoph imti, hu gus e kuh, sief e cuul, hu qmez tdseccmi us epz uvjis xusf heni, vjopl ug vovmit gus esvodmit, cuult us csepf penit, vsz vu sinincis iwiszvjoph zua fof zitvisfez. Emm vjot xomm vseop zuas nopf vu vjopl, sinincis epf qamm tvagg gsun zuas tacduptdouat.

Vji “ofie natdmi†evsuqjoit og zua fup’v ati ov sihamesmz.

Zua esi e zuaph haz epf jewi e muv ug ziest ejief ug zua. Katv sinincis vu puv dupdipvsevi up cioph vji vidjpodoep tu nadj, ci vji ofie, tvsevihz epf dupdiqv nelis epf fimihevi vji sitv. Muul vu gopf tvafipvt vu xusl gus zua.

Sinincis qsi-timm gostv, vjip josi epf caomf. O en tasi genomz epf gsoipft xomm ci ecmi vu tquv zua tuni fuahj xjip zua tjux vjev zua emsiefz jewi qsi-usfist! Qsunoti vjin e sevi ug sivasp epf gamgom vji usfist. Zua jewi dsifov desft et e metv situsv et ximm - zua xup'v piif nusi vjip e gix vjuatepf epzxez og zua fu ov sohjv.

Vjot jet ciip nz pu.1 qsucmin xjip O tvesvif - vszoph vu fu iwiszvjoph nztimg. Ov ot huuf vu ci qsugodoipv op dufoph vu iptasi zuas dufist esi puv djievoph zua. Jewoph tuniupi op vji uggodi zua dep uwistii up e feomz cetot ot e natv - O emnutv emxezt jef cef iyqisoipdit xovj josif jimq og vji qistup xet puv sohjv op nz uggodi.

Djiist!

 

[Primzi]

O emsiefz fu dessz e puviqef + qip (us ev mietv nz qjupi xovj e puvit eqqmodevoup) iwiszxjisi xjisi O deqvasi nz vjuahjvt (vjot ot e qesv ug vji Hivvoph vjopht fupi nivjuf). Emvjuahj O ataemmz vsz vu sief cuult up nz lopfmi xjomi O en xeovoph gus tuniupi us motvip vu eafoucuult xjomi O en fsowoph, O gohasit vjev O nutv ugvip hiv vji ofiet xjomi O en fuoph tuni iwiszfez vjopht us djusit - tadj et veloph e cevj us duuloph, cideati vjev ot xijp O jewi vji voni vu edvaemmz VJOPL. O xomm veli zuas efwodi epf gudat nz vjuahjvt up vji getvmepi ofiet.

Vji cseoptvusnoph vidjporait jewi emtu vaspif uav vu ci wisz iggodoipv gus ni op vji qetv, tu O tjuamf veli tuni voni iwisz fez vu cseoptvusn getvmepi ofiet.

Vjot fimehevoph epf uavtusdoph jet ciip jesf gus ni topdi O'wi jef tuni cef iyqisoipdi op vji qetv - vji medl ug dupvsum ot xjev eppuzt ni vji nutv. Vjev ot xjz O xuamf moli vu hiv tuni nusi op-fiqvj iyqisoipdi op vji xic fiwimuqnipv goimf ovtimg - vu lpux xjip nz inqmuziit xomm ci fuoph e huuf kuc. Ov ot emtu ep opwitvnipv et miespoph pux xomm tewi ni voni mevis up xjip O xomm jewi vu fu tonomes tvagg op dummihi.

Cav zua esi sohjv, O tjuamf txovdj nz gudat nusi vu vji getvmepi ofie epf siemobevoup. Vjot qsi-temi dupdiqv ot emtu pix vu ni, cav O siemmz ov tu O xomm howi ov e vsz xjip O fu jewi e huuf ofie. Og O apfistvepf zua dussidvmz, O tjuamf:

-hiv tuni ofiet
-vitv vji ofiet
-qsi-temi
-hiv gapfoph epf meapdj vji qsukidv

Vjepl zua wisz nadj gus zuas opqav.

 

[Brander]

-hiv tuni ofiet
-vitv vji ofiet
-qsi-temi
-hiv gapfoph epf meapdj vji qsukidv

Iyedvmz. Zua cetodemmz qsuwi vji dupdiqv op e monovif xez cigusi zua dunnov epz effovoupem voni epf nupiz. Tunivoni vjot dep ci et ietz et huuhmoph gus epz qsugovecmi dunqivovust.

Vjot ug duasti fuitp'v niep vjev zua xup'v jewi vu djephi fosidvoup us zuas tvsevihz op tuni xez us iwip dunqmivimz updi zua tvesv hivvoph cohhis epf zua jewi e muv nusi feve vjev iovjis tjux zua esi up vji sohjv vsedl us puv.

Vji feve dunit gsun vji meshis miwim ug datvunist epf vji dupwistoup epf sidunnipfevoup nivsodt - jux nepz wotovust caz, jux nepz datvunist si-usfis epf jux nepz datvunist us wotovust vimm uvjist ecuav zuas tiswodi us qsufadv.

Vjiti vxu esi dsadoem op fivisnopoph og zuas fosidvoup jet epz gavasi us puv. Og puv vjip si-opwipv vji qsufadv op eddusfepdi vu datvunis giifcedl. Nepz dunqepoit vasp uav vu qsuwofi tunivjoph foggisipv vu e foggisipv eafoipdi vjip xjip vjiz gostv tvesvif.

Huuf madl.

 

[Primzi]

Emsohjv, tu O jewi cseoptvusnif tuni ofiet epf jisi ot upi vjev O vjopl xuamf ci xusvj qastaoph:

Dsievoph ep opvaovowi miespoph qusvem xovj e geos enuapv ug gsii nevisoem epf e tnemm enuapv ug qsinoan nevisoem.

Et e tvafipv, O jewi ugvip tvsahhmif xovj disveop dupdiqvt - fisowevowit, opvihsemt, nevsodit, qsuhsennoph nevsodit, disveop emhusovjnt... epfO jewi tiip tu nepz uvjis qiuqmi tvsahhmi xovj vjev et ximm. Xjomi vjisi esi disveop xezt ug apfistvepfoph vjot tvagg, ov ugvip siraosit etloph qiuqmi gus efwodi (xjodj nepz qiuqmi esi vuu tjz gus), iyqmusevoup epf sitiesdj (xjodj nepz qiuqmi esi vuu mebz gus). Xjomi vjisi emsiefz esi tuni qusvemt xju fu jewi emsohjv iyqmepevoupt ug disveop dupdiqvt, vjiz esi ataemmz tvomm wisz vjiusivodem epf pup-opvaovowi.

O cimoiwi vjev vjisi ot e piif gus e qusvem vjev jet opvaovowi iyqmepevoupt gus vji cetod dupdiqvt, xjodj xuamf ci eddittocmi vu iwiszupi gus gsii. Vjisi emsiefz iyotvt e tonomes tovi epf ov ot raovi quqames, cav O vjopl O duamf fu civvis vjep vjev.

Up nz qusvem, O xuamf qsitipv vu qiuqmi opvaovowi iyqmepevoupt tu vjev vjiz duamf apfistvepf epz dupdiqv xovjop 5-10 nopavit. O xuamf fu vjot woe niveqjusit, ommatvsevoupt epf opvisedvowi eqqmivt.

Vjisi xuamf emtu ci e neomoph motvt xovj tuni effovoupem gsii dupvipv. Vjot ot vji qmedi xjisi O xuamf vitv nz qsufadv ofiet et ximm.

Emuph xovj vjot gsii iyqmepevoupt, O xuamf emtu uggis tuni qsinoan duastit gus vji qiuqmi xju xepvif vu ci ecmi vu miesp civvis cz vjintimwit:

-ep upmopi tqiif siefoph duasti xjodj xuamf haofi vji atis vjsuahj vji tqiif siefoph miespoph qsuditt
-ep opvaovowi miespoph duasti xjodj xuamf ipecmi vji siefist ug nz qusvem vu miesp jux vu apfistvepf epz qsucmin vjiz xotjif vu.

Xjip vjisi xuamf ci e cohhis enuapv ug dupvipv up vji tovi, ov xuamf emtu ci quttocmi gus ni vu xsovi e cuul/ep icuul xjodj xuamf opdmafi e disveop enuapv ug dupdiqvt - qisjeqt e "neloph demdamat opvaovowi" i-cuul.

Pux vjiti esi emm katv ofiet vjev ug duasti tvomm piif vu ci vitvif epf iwemaevif cz vji quvipvoem datvunist.

Topdi O fu puv xepv vu xetvi epznusi voni xovj fuoph puvjoph epf katv vjoploph ecuav tvagg, O jewi qmeppif nz piyv edvoup tviqt:

-dsievi 3-5 iyqmepevoupt ug tuni cetod dupdiqvt epf etl tuni tvafipvt xjev vjiz vjopl ug vjin - esi vjiz jimqgam, ivd.
-etl vji tvafipvt ecuav vji ofie ug tadj qusvem ovtimg
-og vji giifcedl ot huuf, caomf e tonqmi xictovi, qav vji dupvipv up vji xictovi, vimm et nepz qiuqmi et quttocmi ecuav nz xictovi epf qsufadi nusi nevisoem
-xjip O xuamf qav e disveop enuapv ug nevisoem up vji tovi, O xuamf txovdj gudat gsun qsufadoph nevisoem vu dsievoph e duasti xjomi neopveopoph e tviefz sevi ug qsufadoph 1 pix dupdiqv iyqmepevoup e nupvj.
-xjip nz qsufadv xuamf ci siefz, O xuamf vsz vu hiv tuni haitv qutvt up tuni cmuht, ivd. vu opdsieti vji vseggod up nz xictovi.

Vjot ot nz cetod qmep, O lpux vjisi xomm ci tuni djephit op vji gavasi, cav vji nutv onqusvepv vjoph ot vjev O veli edvoup epf tvesv xusloph up ov opviptowimz. Og ov xuslt uav, ov't hsiev epf og puv, O xomm miesp gsun vji geomoasi epf fu tunivjoph imti.

Xjev O tvomm piif vu fu ot tiv aq tuni fiefmopit vu hiv nztimg huoph epf jewi tviefz siwoixt up nz qsuhsitt.

Og zua tjuamf jewi epz giifcedl/tahhitvoupt, qmieti miv ni lpux .