I got fired in March 2020 and have been on a mission since then.
My initial desire was to launch a product, but I couldn't afford to wait for things to pick up financially. I needed something that would bring in cash quickly, so I launched a digital agency called WebLime.
My technical understanding wasn't the greatest, so I began to invest time into learning how to program while looking for freelancing opportunities.
Fast forward to today, and I've made over $200k and counting. Along the way, I learned a few things and realized how vital launching my agency has been to my overall journey.
In hindsight, after I got fired, I had a burning sensation to launch a product, but I didn't know what to tackle. I never considered myself to be a man with ideas. And, I didn't have some wild idea for some product to launch.
It's launching the agency that has helped get me on track.
While working on clients' requests, I constantly stumble on exciting opportunities. So many that I have to force myself to stop launching more projects because I can't handle it all.
Examples of some of my projects and how they came about:
While learning how to code, I tried TailwindCSS and loved it. So, I hired a developer that could help build a theme to sell to developers for a relatively affordable price.
I've helped a few staffing agencies launch websites and have heard plenty about some of their problems. One of my clients uses a saas product that allows them to source and hire candidates. That said product doesn't have a WordPress integration, and my client was ready to pay a few thousand dollars to make the integration with their website happen. I researched it a bit more, got in touch with the company's CEO, and agreed to launch their official WordPress plugin.
One of my hustle-moves to get my agency going was putting out road signs at busy intersections. Between all the junk calls, some gold would occasionally surface. In many cases, a simple landing page could have been a great solution. Prospects would express their frustration with Wix and similar platforms and be willing to pay to get the task out of their hands. I realized that there was still room for simple page builders and launched Limey, a simple landing page builder slowly becoming a robust platform.
Final Thoughts
Putting myself out there by learning how to code and delivering websites for clients has put me at the forefront of many different opportunities.
Within my agency, directly or indirectly through client's projects, we face obstacles that a saas solution could solve. The ideas come from all over, and I constantly have to tell myself not to take on more.
Candidly, none of my projects have rolled in the big bucks, but all have had sales or users sign up and show interest. I'm making small bets where I think it makes sense and inching closer to financial stability.
I couldn't be happier about the future and feel fortunate that I got fired in March 2020. Launching the agency was my journey, but it doesn't have to be yours.
The best advice I could give someone is simply to put yourself out there. Join communities, get involved, learn something new, and find different ways to get your feet wet. From there, ideas will find their way to you.