Today turned out to be a big turn around from yesterday. I’m not sure what triggered the anxiousness yesterday…actually, I do. It usually comes about when I start worrying about finances and focusing too much on an unknown future. Those things can start messing with your head. Starting a business and not having a stable income is always challenging. I think for most people, it’s a good idea to have a steady job and work on business on a part-time basis.
I spent a good portion of the day studying the components that make up a website. I also read up on the best approach to building out a start-up company especially if you are building out a SASS company. It’s interesting to see that many people were able to build out a software product without being technical. Most of the work was outsourced, but even in the outsourcing you need to have some a conceptual understanding of building out a software product, and the methodologies the articulate your needs to your developers.
I learned that many had outsourced a front-end developer and a back-end developer to build out their sites in a matter of months for under 40k. It’s pretty impressive. I still think having a technical understand makes you a more competent founder if you are building out a tech-focused company, but it’s not what will make or break you.
I started the process of building out some web projects. It’s fascinating to see how the internet works and how application layer programs work on top. I love the learning process. I’m pretty glad that I didn’t get into the Penn program at this stage. I’m learning a whole lot by myself, and I get to focus on stuff I’m interested in learning. It doesn’t mean I wouldn’t go to school again to learn Computer Science but I think when I do go, I’ll have a much better understanding of the material.
I realized I have a 1-3 year learning curve ahead of me and it most likely won’t produce income until later. Even if that’s the case, I’m having a blast learning how all the technologies work, and I’m enjoying the process. I plan to continue learning and building while working on businesses that don’t require coding.
I used to think that it was all about learning code if you want to build a great company but I realized that’s not the case. Coding is just part of the puzzle. If you make a great product but don’t know how to market it, you’re dead in the water. If you happen to get a great product out, market it well but don’t know how to scale your business, then you’re also dead in the water. There are so many components of launching a startup. It’s eye-crossing but fun because it’s a constant learning process. When you think you know everything…BAM…you face a new challenge. It’s daunting and only someone that REALLY wants to build a company should attempt it.
I spent most of my day at Starbucks. I had dinner at a Japanese restaurant and then went grocery shopping for a few items. I’ve been making shabu for dinner it’s the best. It’s cheap and has a great combo of veggies and just the right amount of meat. I have my breakfast and dinner covered, and I usually eat out for lunch. I think I could do the same breakfast and dinner almost every day. Both of my meals are extremely simple to make, prep time is low, and it’s pretty healthy. If I had a blender, I’d incorporate a shake for lunch, and that would pretty much cover my entire day. Having a simple rhythm is nice. It saves time and money.
After getting back to the place, I hit the gym and focused on chest, triceps, and a 2-mile run.
I had my protein shake when I got back and showered up and went back to learning web development. The internet just went out, so I guess it’s time to get off early. I’ll be posting this tomorrow hopefully when the internet is back up.