Lessons from the Roller Coaster of Entrepreneurship, A journey through highs, lows, and invaluable lessons. In my twenties, I had the unique experience of riding the roller coaster of entrepreneurship, and it was quite the ride. Back in the ’90s, I ran a small web hosting company with just a couple of servers and T1 lines. At the time, it was enough to make a decent living, and I was content…..
In my twenties, I had the unique experience of riding the roller coaster of entrepreneurship, and it was quite the ride. Back in the ’90s, I ran a small web hosting company with just a couple of servers and T1 lines. At the time, it was enough to make a decent living, and I was content. However, everything changed when a larger hosting company went bankrupt, leaving many of its employees jobless and customers stranded as their websites went offline.
One of my friends from that company had backup copies of the customer sites, and we seized the opportunity to help them out. We reached out, offering to host their sites at an unbeatable price. To my surprise, most of them accepted. Our little business exploded from about 100 customers to over 3,000 in just a few months. With this sudden growth came the need for a bigger office, more servers, and a team to manage it all. Within a year, my five-person operation generated nearly $2 million in sales, and I sold the business to a larger provider shortly after.
At just 20 years old, I found myself with a windfall, but my lack of experience led to some questionable financial decisions. I bought cars, a big house, and dabbled in other businesses that didn’t pan out. By 22, I had spent most of my earnings, convinced that another big win was just around the corner. It wasn’t until I was 31 that I found success again, this time with a product I invented. This time, I was wiser. I managed my money carefully, sold the product’s rights for cash and stock, and focused on security for my growing family. Now, I live debt-free, without credit cards, and find satisfaction in my work, knowing that my financial choices have led to a more secure future.
