I recently picked up a new book from my local library called The Upstarts: How Uber, Airbnb, and the Killer Companies of the New Silicon Valley Are Changing the World.
As you can probably guess, the book is about the growth of Airbnb and Uber, and it starts at the very beginning in the history of these companies, before they even existed. Something about this book really hit home for me and reminded me of an important lesson that I thought was worth reminding ourselves of again – we all have to start somewhere.
It’s an important thing to remember that I too often forget. One of the frustrating things about getting into the personal finance space is feeling like you’re so far behind all the time. I’m pretty much at the beginning of my financial journey and it’s sometimes disheartening to see people the same age as me who are already nearing or at financial independence.
The same is true with getting into the blogging world. I see all of these big blogs out there and sometimes get down on myself that my blog isn’t at that level yet. It sometimes makes you feel like giving up.
The thing that I always forget is that every one of these people had to have started out in about the same position as me today. Sure, our stories all differ a little bit. Some people started out a little bit ahead. Others started out a little bit behind. But ultimately, everyone had to start somewhere.
That’s why The Upstarts was a good thing for me to start reading this week. It’s a reminder to myself that nothing happens overnight and that building anything, whether it’s a big blog, a stable financial footing, or a billion-dollar company, takes time and work. There are no guarantees, of course. But if you find yourself lamenting that you’re not at the level of someone else, remember that even they had to be in your position once.
Even The Big Shots Had To Struggle Early On
The story of Airbnb’s CEO, Brian Chesky, is one that I find really remarkable. He’s obviously a smart guy, but he’s not a guy who was guaranteed to strike it big with his idea. Early on in his career, he basically toiled working the type of entry-level job a lot of us probably started out in.
His Airbnb story starts off just like anyone else with an online business idea. Chesky and his co-founder, Job Gebbia got a domain name, set up a website, and started trying to get people to use the site. The first iteration of the site was even set up using WordPress.
That first week, Chesky and his co-founder managed to get a few people to stay at their house. And then the real struggle began – very few people took their site seriously.
They tried to set up the website at South by Southwest in Austin, but only two people ended up using Airbnb during that event – and one of them was Chesky himself. When they interviewed the person who hosted the future billionaire in Austin, he mentioned how Chesky would stand on the balcony and look off into downtown Austin, as if the action was somewhere else far away. As explained in the book, “he didn’t seem present.”
I totally get that feeling. It’s the feeling you get when you feel like you should be farther along than you are.
Needless to say, Chesky and his crew took a lot of hits early on. People didn’t believe in Airbnb and they weren’t making any money. To make ends meet, they picked up a side hustle selling funny presidential cereals for the 2008 election (they called them Obama Os and Cap’n McCains). That’s some hustle right there. Eventually, with a little bit of help (and remember, we all need help), they managed to get into Y-Combinator. And the rest is pretty much history.
The story itself is interesting, but what’s really interesting was how those early struggles seemed so relatable. Anyone who has tried to create something out of thin air has had to face this same struggle. You see these big shots now and you forget that one time, maybe not that long ago, they probably weren’t all that different from you and me.
It Takes Time
I know it’s a platitude, but it’s true. Succeeding at anything takes time. When we see those people who are so far ahead of us, it’s a good idea to remind ourselves that they didn’t just start out there. They had to begin somewhere.
I need to keep reminding myself about that fact. I just happen to be at the start of my own financial and blogging journey, and it’s easy to get down on myself. Sometimes I fall into the comparison trap and feel like I’m never going to make it. This is especially true if I forget that there was a road behind every single person I look up to.
My suspicion is that forgetting about that road is why many of us aren’t willing to let time run its course. We all want things to happen right away. It’s probably why so many of us come out of school and immediately start upgrading everything in our lives. We forget that a lot of the people we’re trying to emulate had a long road behind them.
Just Keep Hustling
I think in the end, we have to remember to keep hustling. It’s a tough road for anyone who’s reached any sort of success. Most of us only see people’s end results. We discover blogs when they’re already big. Or we learn about people who have already reached financial independence. We always see the destination. It makes it easy to forget that there was a road behind it.
This blog isn’t the biggest blog in the world. I appreciate every single person that comes to visit and I’m happy that it continues to grow. It’s okay that it isn’t the biggest blog in the world yet. I should also remember that I’m miles ahead of where I was just a little while ago.
The same is true with financial independence. I know I’m behind a lot of people. I know I’m also ahead of other people too. Anyone who’s already there didn’t get there overnight. They hustled, day-in and day-out, for years before they made it. And when they first started, they probably started somewhere around where I am too.
When Chesky and his crew got into Y-Combinator, they called themselves “cockroaches” because they just wouldn’t die. It’s not a bad compliment.
In hindsight, you look back at an idea like Airbnb and think it’s crazy that anyone didn’t think it could succeed. But we know that in life, nothing is guaranteed. It takes work – and a lot of it – if you want to make it.
If you’re ever feeling behind, don’t forget to remind yourself that everyone had to have been where you were once too.
Do you ever fall into this trap of forgetting that everyone had to start somewhere?
More Recommended Ebike/Scooters
Check out these other ebikes/scooters I've had the chance to do a review for:
- GEN3 Outcross Bike – The GEN3 Outcross is a solid, affordable fat tire ebike that does a good job of doing what I need it to do. It works great for city riding, giving me a smooth ride in all conditions. It’s works really well as a winter ebike since the fat tires give it good traction over snow and ice. Check out my GEN3 Outcross Review.
- Himiway Escape Bike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
- Espin Sport Bike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
- Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
- Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.
More Recommended Investing App Bonuses
For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:
- M1 Finance ($10) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $10 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
- SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with $100 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
- Moomoo (5 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 5 free stocks (usually worth around $75-$100) if you open an account using a referral link and deposit $2,000. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
- Webull (5 free stocks) – Webull also gives you 5 free stock valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free stocks using Webull.
- Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
- Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.
More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses
If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.
- Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
- Digital Federal Credit Union ($100) – Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $100 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a saving account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000. Check out my in-depth post on how to set this account up.
- Upgrade ($100) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account and complete three debit card transactions. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Importantly, this bonus says that it’s now scheduled to end on January 31, 2023. As long as you get your account opened before January 31st, you should be eligible. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $100 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
- SoFi Money ($275) – SoFi Money is a free checking account from SoFi. They’re currently offering a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi account with a referral link and deposit $10. You can also make an additional $250 as well if you complete a direct deposit. This is a good bank that is also 100% free, so you won’t have to worry about managing this account. Here’s a post I wrote with instructions on how to earn your SoFi Money bonus: SoFi Money Referral Bonus: Step By Step Guide.
- Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link.Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
- Fairwinds Credit Union ($100) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
- OnJuno ($60) – OnJuno is a fintech/neobank that is currently offering a $10 referral bonus if you open an account using a referral link and make a deposit of $50 or more. You will also get 1000 JCOIN. The 1000 of JCOIN is cryptocurrency. At the time I'm writing this, it'll be worth about $50. Check out my OnJuno referral bonus guide here.
- Varo ($30) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $30 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
- Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
- Albert ($150) – If you can manage to do a real direct deposit, Albert is an easy account you can use to earn a referral bonus. Here’s a review about Albert I wrote. And here’s a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Albert referral bonus.
- Netspend ($20 + 5% Interest Savings Account) – Netspend is a company that provides 5% interest savings accounts. If you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get a $20 signup bonus once you make your first deposit into your Netspend account of $40 or more. That means you get a 5% interest savings account and a free $20 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.
Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.
Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.
Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:
- SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $250 if you complete a direct deposit.
- DCU. Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $100 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a savings account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000.
- Novo Bank. Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. It’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog.
- M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $10 for opening an account.
- Personal Capital. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
I can ensure you that there are already bloggers out there (including myself) who already look up at your achievements. You have to start somewhere and you did a great start. Keep up the good work!
Thanks man! Appreciate the kind words!
“I appreciate every single person that comes to visit.” Thanks. It’s nice to be appreciated 🙂
Yeah I fall into that problem sometimes. People (and the news, books, etc) always focus on the huge successes. So it’s easy to focus on that instead of focusing on the actual hard work that goes into success.
I don’t remember which book it was that I read, but the explanation was great: If people gave up on finding love as often and as easily as people give up on running a successful business, the human population would die off. (Failure is a necessary part of success.) So there you go.
Haha I’m glad you feel appreciated! And True that! Definitely a good quote.
Interesting read! Discipline and persistence is important when pursuing any worthwhile goal.
As someone near your age, I can certainly relate. I’ve been investing for almost 13 years now and am seeing the wonders of compounding interest at work, so all the hard work has started bearing noticeable fruit.
I have a couple of other passive income streams that are in their infancy and I have to remind myself that the best time to plant a tree is now.
Thanks, DS! 13 years of investing is awesome! I feel like I’ve just barely started.
We started climbing out of $100k worth of debt when I was 40, with a family in tow. There will always be others ahead and behind us, all about perspective. Keep hustling.
That’s definitely true. There will always be people ahead and behind us. I’ll definitely just keep hustling!
Put it on my reading list. Thanks.
Cool! Get it at the library if you need to. So far, it’s pretty good.
Great perspective, FP! I didn’t start my financial journey until the ripe old age of 36. Ha! It was tough reading about how people were already retired by their 30’s while my net worth was in the negative (six figures to be exact).
I personally thing your blog is excellent. I’m a frequent visitor and sometimes commenter. Plus you’re student loan debt free! That’s pretty darn awesome!
Docs start so much later it’s crazy! My fiance is looking at starting so late too. She won’t be done with her residency until she’s 32 years old. Some of these super savers are already retired for 2 years at that point!
This is a brilliant post. We all need a reminder at times that we all start off at the beginning….! Nobody is an instant succcess or instantly popular or instantly anything else… besides alive!
Great post.
Thanks Katy! I definitely have to work to keep reminding myself that. It can be frustrating when you don’t get to the top instantly!
I’m definitely going to check out this book. Thanks, FP!
Keep up the great work on this blog – I really enjoy your writing. Good things come to those that wait and are patient. The side hustle reports are awesome!!
Thanks, man! Appreciate it!
Yes FP. This blog looks super nice and the content you put out is strong. Slow but steady wins the race.
I struggle with the same feelings, but in the end I tell myself that I am not doing this for the numbers. I want to reach out to people and ultimately value quality over quantity.
But agreed, sometimes the vanity metrics clog up our heads :-).
Thanks for the book tip. Added to my long to-read list.
Thanks for the compliment! I’m trying to remember slow and steady too, but yep it’s important to not let those vanity metrics get in the way!
You mean there’s hope for my terrible website building skills? It’s unreal how basic their site was back in the day
I know, it’s crazy! It was basically just two guys with an idea. Not that much different from all of us.
So true – it’s easy to get frustrated when comparing our progress to others, especially if you started your FI journey later in life. “Comparison is the thief of joy”, but, indeed, we’ve all had to start somewhere and we’ll all face our own unique struggles. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Tabitha!
This is an awesome read and the best part it will always be relevant. Anyone, at any point of their debt journey, career, or blogging journey can relate to this. I can relate to my own journey in paying off my student loans at an expedited rate, which can feel hopeless and at times like I’m doing everything wrong. Blogging, too. I’ve blogged for about a year now and still too often feel like my blog is one day going to “get there”, but if I just look back to where I was this time last year, it’s amazing. We accomplish so much more than we ever take the time to sit back and realize. So, thank you for writing this. Echoing the comment above, slow and steady wins the race.
Glad I found your blog and looking to coming back for more!
Best,
Leah
Thanks so much Leah! You make some great points and it really puts things in perspective when we sit back and realize that everyone had to have started at the same place.
Great post FP, I often feel the same way about my own progress financial or otherwise, , it’s always nice to know you’re not the only one. It’s also an encouragement to keep going. One guarantee is that none of us will reach our goals if we give up! : )
True that! Gotta just keep that perspective!