I used to bounce around like a molecule, colliding with everything untiI I discovered every crack and backdoor by sheer persistence.

I used to sit in my parents basement for 14 hours straight without a single thought unrelated to the screen in front of me entering my head.

I once made $5 in a day. The money was meaningless, just a way to keep score.

I used to be a hacker, I was driven by pure curiosity and the joy of finding out.

I once made $100 in a day. I could actually buy stuff in real life.

The money wasn’t important to me. I wasn’t concerned about my future, my career, or what other people thought.

I once made $1000 in a day. I probably don’t need a real job. That’s nice.

The money wasn’t that important to me. I just wanted the freedom to travel and keep hacking without having to work for someone.

I once made $27,000 in a day. My parents were proud of me because I was successful now.

The money wasn’t the most important thing to me. My expenses increased, but I lived below my means. I should probably invest in a tax deferred retirement account and make a linkedin profile.

I once made $1 million dollars in a day. I was now a professional internet entrepreneur.

I was no longer a hacker. I wanted to build a robust internet business with low overhead and diversified recurring revenue streams to be attractive for an eventual acquisition.

I was concerned with the landscape, the competition, and that guy on the cover of Inc magazine.

It became harder to figure things out. I felt like I was consuming twice the mental resources. I’m a successful internet entrepreneur now, and my identity is tied to the outcome.

Me today could never have done what I did back then. I don’t have the curiosity, the scrappiness, or the delusional optimism to even try.

To those just starting out who haven’t yet made a dollar and a cent, block out all the bullshit and hack.