I was a broke student who slept on the floor. All I wanted was to not ask my dad for $80 for rent money each month. That was 2011. I had spent 2 years trying to make websites in Dreamweaver hoping to make some money, but nothing had worked. Then in 2012 I made a form-building plugin and started selling it on a WordPress plugins marketplace I found through a Google search.
I sent this email to the Founder and CEO of this marketplace (not knowing him or his email):
Collis,
You don’t know me, but I think you’d like to hear my story.
Back in December, 2012, I found CodeCanyon.net through a Google search. I was a 20-year old broke student, living in a Mumbai ghetto, studying to become an accountant, while also working full time as an intern at an accounting firm, 6-days a week, for $50 a month. I was desperate to find a way I could pay my rent without having to ask dad.
I spent a few weeks learning HTML from w3schools, and Tuts tutorials. I made a simple contact form template, and tried to sell it on CodeCanyon. I made my first $4 that day. I spend the next 8 months teaching myself how to code by staying up late at night, working on weekends, and during lunch hours at work. I launched a bunch of plugins on CodeCanyon, and they did well. All I wanted was to pay my monthly rent of $80. I got so much more.
I hated accounting; the company you founded allowed me to drop out of accounting school, and pursue my dream. Today, I am an Elite author on CodeCanyon. I have sold over 12,600 licenses. I also run a SaaS project of my own. I have travelled 12+ countries, and met some of the most amazing people. I did all this at an age when most people are still looking forward to their graduation day. I am 23.
I cannot imagine how my life would have been if I hadn’t found CodeCanyon.
Thank you.
PS: I’m shooting in the dark here. I hope I got the email right ([email protected])
Regards,
Nishant
(He responded and we had a nice conversation)
I was on the front page of ProductHunt in 2014, hunted by the founder Ryan. I got interviewed by Courtland here a long time ago. HN crashed my website with traffic. I've hit many milestones and travelled to 25+ countries. I am not saying this to brag because all those things mean very little when I look back at my life for the last 8 years. It's funny that way.
The first $3.5 I made were the sweetest ever. The first time I fell in love. The first time I visited San Francisco. My first autumn, my first snow, and my first mushrooms. The time I discovered yoga, went vegan, and took control of my mental health. Even today, after 8 long years of doing it, I feel happy every time I walk into a coffee shop because a coffee shop is where it started.
The founder - Collis Ta'eed - of that billion $ marketplace I talked about earlier? He sells chocolate now.
I don't know what the lesson here is. It's late at night and I am feeling nostalgic. Don't look at the revenue graph. You are right where you are supposed to be, and I hope it is a place of happiness. Everything else is noise.
PS: Stay away from Nestle kids. Buy ethically sourced chocolate.
I loved getting that email!
Very wise words to remember. I could do with that myself, as even after making a pretty large business, I still would freak out frequently about revenue graphs and business stresses.
Oh and, anyone want to buy some 🍫😉
Collis!
It's amazing how lives connect sometimes. Best of luck with Hey Tiger. You continue to inspire. We could all use some ethically sourced chocolate 🍫🍫🍫
Wow, thank you. I'm going to use your words to clear my head, get a great sleep, and spend the weekend with my family.
Glad to hear that :)
Thank you for telling your story.
That's what it's all about. (At least for me.) Finding what you love and finding joy in everyday life.
I want to work for myself. On my own projects. Setting my own schedule.
I'm not there yet, but I feel so happy and content with where I am and how far I've come.
Your story means a lot to me.
Like @Matthewbf commented: for me it's all about the journey.
Precisely!
Thanks for sharing, we need more people to talk about their journey not the end result
We certainly do!
Keep winning mate!
Thanks :)
Inspiring, thanks for sharing
Thank you
Wow
A lot of wise words here, thank you
Thank you
Can I work for you for free? I would love to learn about it !!
:)
I am not looking for help right now, but I'll keep your offer in mind. That said, don't work for free. You'll end up working for the wrong crowd.
Awesome story, well done - and now you're in Canada, a great choice! 😁
Yes, one of the best decisions I ever made!
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That's the spirit. Happy for you :)
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We are all made up of stories, and they are all just as good 🙏🏼