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I started my freelance career as a translator.
I then went into content because I was receiving more and more offers to write blog posts rather than translating documents. So, in a way, the market shaped my career path...
But I wanted to take it a step further.
/1
I then went into content because I was receiving more and more offers to write blog posts rather than translating documents. So, in a way, the market shaped my career path...
But I wanted to take it a step further.
/1
I& #39;ve always had a maker mindset.
I knew I wanted to build something but I didn& #39;t quite know what that was. That held true until I got so frustrated with freelancing platforms that I HAD to build something. ANYTHING that would take me out of there.
So I built @KoalaRank.
/2
I knew I wanted to build something but I didn& #39;t quite know what that was. That held true until I got so frustrated with freelancing platforms that I HAD to build something. ANYTHING that would take me out of there.
So I built @KoalaRank.
/2
Truthfully, I started out with something simpler.
How was I supposed to show that I knew what I was doing if I didn& #39;t have my own blog? Something that could demonstrate my knowledge of SEO and content marketing? That& #39;s when I built @TranslationDom.
But it was short lived.
/3
How was I supposed to show that I knew what I was doing if I didn& #39;t have my own blog? Something that could demonstrate my knowledge of SEO and content marketing? That& #39;s when I built @TranslationDom.
But it was short lived.
/3
I KNEW I wanted to build a business.
Translation Domain was just a blog... It had the potential to make me money, but it would be stuck in the never-ending loop of: "How do I monetize this? How do I monetize that?"
No thanks.
I NEEDED something that was future-proof.
/4
Translation Domain was just a blog... It had the potential to make me money, but it would be stuck in the never-ending loop of: "How do I monetize this? How do I monetize that?"
No thanks.
I NEEDED something that was future-proof.
/4
That& #39;s when Koala Rank came to be.
I spent SIX MONTHS cooking up the business model, figuring out the angle and whether I needed a business plan or not, what market I was targeting, and so on.
All of this with no fancy landing page.
Just me, a pen, and lots of paper.
/5
I spent SIX MONTHS cooking up the business model, figuring out the angle and whether I needed a business plan or not, what market I was targeting, and so on.
All of this with no fancy landing page.
Just me, a pen, and lots of paper.
/5
Today, Koala Rank is still a small business.
But it IS working. It& #39;s making me more money than I could ever imagine.
However, its inception was as much a labor of love as it was a labor of NEED.
And this is where I& #39;m getting at with this thread...
/6
But it IS working. It& #39;s making me more money than I could ever imagine.
However, its inception was as much a labor of love as it was a labor of NEED.
And this is where I& #39;m getting at with this thread...
/6
Founders:
If you you feel like months of research and early-adopter feedback agony is a chore not worth your time, you& #39;re not fit for the role.
You will be stressed.
You will want to pull your hair out.
You will (probably) cry.
But that should NEVER be enough to stop you.
/7
If you you feel like months of research and early-adopter feedback agony is a chore not worth your time, you& #39;re not fit for the role.
You will be stressed.
You will want to pull your hair out.
You will (probably) cry.
But that should NEVER be enough to stop you.
/7
My story of entrepreneurship is a story of NEED.
After 1 year of constant work, I don& #39;t wake up thinking: "Oh gee, what a great year. No paid time off, countless hours of self-education, brainstorming, experimenting... I want more of that!"
Yet I continue pushing through.
/8
After 1 year of constant work, I don& #39;t wake up thinking: "Oh gee, what a great year. No paid time off, countless hours of self-education, brainstorming, experimenting... I want more of that!"
Yet I continue pushing through.
/8
I& #39;m not trying to bring you down with this.
Seriously, if you want that shiny landing page, go for it!
But I want you to understand that starting a business is NOT that cool.
Exciting? Yes.
Ambitious? Absolutely.
Potentially life-changing? Yep.
But definitely NOT cool.
/9
Seriously, if you want that shiny landing page, go for it!
But I want you to understand that starting a business is NOT that cool.
Exciting? Yes.
Ambitious? Absolutely.
Potentially life-changing? Yep.
But definitely NOT cool.
/9
