That’s how it was for me five years ago. I was happy. I was doing what I loved. I worked so I could do what I loved: skiing, biking, kayaking, climbing, etc. But I felt stuck — no money, no time off from work. And I really wanted to travel the world going on adventures and doing the things I love. I wanted to go helicopter skiing in Alaska, surfing in Fiji and other places.
Those things are expensive though. So I got a real job and worked like crazy. I commuted over 45 minutes each way to work, and sat in a cubicle in front of a computer five days a week. I was only able to go skiing on the weekends. I became a “Weekend Warrior”. The idea was to work hard for few years and save up money and then go on a bunch of big trips. After almost a year of working like a dog and neglecting my passions – I managed to save a whopping $0. Yup, in fact I was $11,000 in credit card debt. Now I couldn't quit my job even if I wanted to, because I had to work to pay my bills and my debt. I was stuck in the rat race. And I was miserable.
I decided then and there that I was going to dedicate myself to finding the answer. How can I live my dream lifestyle of traveling the world and going on adventures? I searched and searched. Is it being a writer, or a photographer, or some sort of an adventure guide? Nothing I came up with satisfied the criteria of no time constraints, no money constraints, ultimate flexibility, and no geography constraints. I had pretty much given up and settled on the fact that I was going to be a 9-to-5 slave or work in a restaurant at nights so I could play during the days.
I had a breakdown and then in the midst of my breakdown – I had an epiphany. In my epiphany I saw how the Internet disseminates information. And I realized that whoever helps the information reach the person looking for it quickly and accurately and gives them exactly what they are looking for – can make money from that. So I started setting up an online business.
Article comments
1 - Howard Dratch
Terrific series idea, fine start. Now we wait for more in what promises to be an informative series.
2 - Christopher Rose
Thanks, Howard. I'm not actually going to use Chris Carpenter's Google Cash Detective as it's too expensive for me but I absolutely believe in his approach.
3 - US Realty
Heh, nice! Another kind of arbitrage? But if leads or sales aren't generated, the money not comes. Also, will G allow this on the long term?
4 - Christopher Rose
USR: The Google Cash Detective software can actually tell which adverts are running over prolonged periods of time. This is a pretty strong indicator that the campaigns are profitable. It is then staggeringly easy to place similar ads of one's own in the certain knowledge that there is money to be made.
As to Google's attitude to this in the future, who knows? GCD isn't the first software to do this and it won't be the last, so I guess it's a case of making hay while the sun shines, particularly for those selling the software!
5 - jhon
Hi,
I had my interview with Google for associate product manager .. you can read the interview here
hope it is useful to others..