I regret building my app in public
But I don't regret building my personal brand; in fact, it's been one of the best things I've done in my life
If I were to do it again, I would keep the app stealth
There are only downsides to sharing it with other builders unless you're actually selling to them
I’m 22, and I’ve never had a “real” job
16 → Dropshipped ripoff Hello Kitty bags on Amazon. Made a couple grand… then got taken down for IP infringement lol
17 → Bought a course on selling public domain books on Amazon. It was starting to work kinda, but I was just putting slop into the world, so I quit. ($500)
18 → Accidentally started a gardening business. Started with just a few neighbours, then word of mouth spread, and suddenly I was driving all over the city mowing lawns. $40/hr (AUD), but being outside in the Aussie summer heat 8 hours a day was not the most enjoyable...
22 → Built my dream app that helps people learn Japanese. Just hit my first $30k month!
What I realised from these experiences is that I don't want to make money just by putting slop out into the world
I want to actually give people something of value, enjoy what I'm building, and be proud of it
It took another 14 days to hit a $30k month
Day 274 of road to $30k/mo
Only 3 months left in 2026…
This year changed my life
I went from:
- mowing lawns for money
- building my first app
- failing completely (after months of building 😭)
- trying again
- scaling my 2nd app to $29k rev in last month
All while documenting every single day (which in itself was extremely uncomfortable for me)
You can literally change who you are in just a couple of months
Don’t give up!



















