About
Don’t you want to start a successful company like Zappos, Paypal, or Skype? They all sold for over a billion dollars so why can’t you create one too?
As Guy Kawasaki once said, you have a better chance of getting struck by lightning while standing at the bottom of a swimming pool on a sunny day.
So if you are looking to learn how to create one of those billion dollar companies, you have come to the wrong place. Heck, if you are looking for guidance on how to even create a million dollar company, you have also come to the wrong place.
If I break down how any successful company got to where they are, you won’t be able to replicate it. Why? It’s because each and every company is different; even if they are both in the same vertical what may have worked for one business may not work for the other.
I know, at this point you are probably wondering why you should stick around and join the Quick Sprout community. Well it’s simple, if you decide to become a regular reader I can promise you 3 things:
- I am dumber than I look – Dumb? That’s right, I am not the smartest person out there. I have made a ton of entrepreneurial mistakes that have lost me a lot of money. By reading about my mistakes and learning from them you’ll increase your odds of success.
- I am always willing to help you out – If you have any questions about business or need help with anything for that matter, I’ll do everything in my powers to help you out. Don’t worry, I am not looking for any sort of financial compensation.
- I’ll never brag or boast – It’s useless for me to talk about how much money I have made. But through my mediocre business career I have been able to build friendships with some very successful entrepreneurs. And as you probably guessed, I will also be breaking down the mistakes they have made so you can learn from them.
Hopefully I’ll see you around Quick Sprout… and if you already haven’t, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed.
The Neil Patel Story
The Early Years
On April 24, 1985, I was born in London, England. From the beginning I had entrepreneurship in my blood, but I’ll get into that a bit later. When I was 2 years old, my parents decided to move to sunny Orange County, California. At first we struggled a bit, just like most first generation Indians; my mom’s first job was a non-paid teaching gig, to which she had to walk a few miles everyday with my sister and me. My dad on the other hand worked for one of my uncles. His job didn’t pay much, but we were grateful for the opportunity my uncle gave him. But because of my mom’s aggressive nature and my dad’s hard work ethic, my sister and I were able to live a middle class lifestyle.
Throughout my childhood, I was surround by entrepreneurs. All of my uncles on my mom’s side had multiple businesses, which led them to all be successful. My uncle’s entrepreneurship rubbed off on my mom, which encouraged her to start her own home daycare business. But it never revenued more than 100k a year and my dad was satisfied with his average job. This meant my sister and I would not live a “rich” lifestyle.
Entrepreneurship
Growing up, I always thought about what I could do so that my lifestyle could change. I started my first year at John F. Kennedy High School. My cousin, who is a year older than me, was selling burned music CDs to students at the time. I saw how he was making a few bucks so I started doing the same thing within my freshmen class. I quickly realized that I could only make a few dollars a CD, so I started selling bootleg movies.
Soon after I was known as the kid in high school who was selling anything pirated. I then decided to capitalize on this by purchasing cable black boxes on Ebay and selling them to my classmates as well as their parents. Business was booming and I made a few grand in profit.
Realizing that there wasn’t a long-term career in selling pirated stuff, I decided to get into a legitimate business. I noticed that many kids in my school were fixing up their cars with after market parts, so I decided to get into reselling automotive parts. I picked up a resellers permit from the State Board of Equalization, which allowed me to buy car parts at a discount and sell them to other students.
The Corporate Life
Because my income from my businesses was not stable, I decide to get a “real” job. I was only 15 and the only local place I could pick up a job was at Knott’s Berry Farm, in the park services department. The department I worked in sounded cool, but I was in charge of picking up trash, emptying trashcans, cleaning restrooms, and sweeping up vomit. Although the job sounded bad, I loved it because I got paid a few cents more per hour for cleaning the restrooms compared to most of the jobs at Knott’s Berry Farm.
After 3 months of working at Knott’s, I quit and picked up a job at Quality Systems. This job didn’t give me any steady income, but the job paid out a few hundred dollars in commission per sale. I was selling a $1600 Kirby vacuum. I went door to door and tried to convince homeowners to let me clean their carpets for free and I would then sell them on the vacuum after shampooing their carpet. After doing this for a month or so shockingly I sold a vacuum to an Indian couple (I was surprised because generally Indians are cheap). But after a week reality kicked in and they returned the vacuum.
Realizing that the average American could not afford to buy a $1600 vacuum, I decided to look for other career opportunities. My sister was working for an Oracle consultant locally and she introduced me to him. I found out that as an Oracle consultant, my sister’s boss was billing companies 125 to 250 dollars an hour. I was shocked to hear how much he was making, which led the entrepreneur within me to come out once again. I tried to figure out how I could also make that much as a high school student, so I turned to Monster.com and started looking for Oracle consulting jobs. The problem was, I had no clue what Oracle was.
.COM boom
Instead of finding a job on Monster.com I learned about Monster.com’s business model and how they were making hundreds of millions of dollars. As a kid, I thought that if I could even make 1% of what they did, I would be rich. This led me to start my own job board called Advice Monkey. After spending 5 grand to build the job board, I launched it and learned that you have to market a site for it to be successful.
Knowing that I needed some help with marketing, I hired an Internet marketing firm. Within a few months I learned they were taking my money and doing nothing valuable in exchange, so I fired them. I then hired two more firms who also provided little to no results.
Because a few Internet marketers had taken all my money, I decided to learn Internet marketing myself and within a few months I became pretty good at it. Advice Monkey started to become popular, but it never succeeded because the site was not setup to take credit card transactions.
A New Life
My sister was still working for the Oracle consultant and she kept telling me how he was making a lot of money. I then decided that I was going to take that career path and open up my Oracle consulting company. But I had two major roadblocks in my way: I was nowhere near 18 years old and I didn’t have a college degree.
With my sister’s help I started taking general education college courses at Cypress Community College while in high school. My goal was to finish college in 2.5 years.
My first college class was Speech 101, in which I had to give three speeches on any topic of my choice. One of the speeches I gave was how search engines work. After giving the speech one of the individuals in the class asked me if I wanted to consult Elpac Electronics on their Internet marketing strategy. Using my sales skills that I learned from selling vacuums door to door, I was able to lock them into a $3500 a month consulting gig. Realizing that I could make a lot of money and change my lifestyle by doing Internet marketing for companies, I decided to start up an Internet marketing company with my sister’s boyfriend (now her husband).
The Good Life
The Internet marketing company started taking off and as a kid I thought I was “rolling in dough”. With the money I made I started investing in a few other companies. I invested around a million dollars into a hosting company called Vision Web Hosting, that never worked out (sadly I lost all of the money I invested into it). After realizing investing wasn’t for me, my business partner and I took the rest of the money we made and created another company called Crazy Egg. Crazy Egg created a lot of buzz when it came out and I surely thought I would end up selling it for 10 million dollars. When I wasn’t able to get an asking price of 10 million dollars for Crazy Egg my business partner and I decided that we were going to raise venture capital because Crazy Egg wasn’t a profitable company.
After pitching Crazy Egg to venture capitalists for 6 months, I realized no one was going to invest in it. Because of this I had no choice other than to figure out how to make Crazy Egg profitable.
Today
This now brings me up to date. Other than the Internet marketing company I also co-founded a few more companies such as KISSmetrics, which funny enough got funded by True Ventures who I once pitched Crazy Egg to. Some of the companies I co-founded didn’t do well and made me lose a lot of money whereas others have done great. But after 23 years of living I have learned one really important thing: life isn’t fair! If you don’t like the cards you are dealt with, do something to change them. And for some ungodly reason, if you are unable to change them, keep moving forward and don’t look back. All you can do is try.
The Future
I wish I had a crystal ball that could tell me what the future holds for me, but I don’t have one. Luckily enough, I have made more money than I have lost and I have been able to leverage that money into investments like apartment complexes, houses, .com companies, the stock market, venture capital funds, and best of all my parents. Hopefully my investments will pay off so that I can continue to do what I am doing and not work for anyone else.
Over the next few years my number 1 goal is to share what I have learned with you so that you can have a better life than me. If you have any questions or need any help with anything, please don’t be shy to ask.
{ 766 comments… read them below or add one }
A little age but achievement is like one can reach on top of Mt. Averest.
Nice analogy! Reaching the top of Mt. Everest is hard… probably much harder than what I did.
I wish you could do lot better than this with your 3 firms. Have a successful life buddy.
You are a role model. At such a yound age you have achieved so much. Its really amazing. All the best to you . You will definately be much more successful than what you are now
Thanks! Sadly, I feel that I haven’t achieved enough.
Hi Neil, I am 34 years old and recently married. Until now I have worked for companies, but feel that the time is right to start a business venture. Do you have any further tips or advice??
I do:
http://www.quicksprout.com/2009/05/05/8-things-i-wish-i-knew-when-starting-my-first-business/
http://www.quicksprout.com/2009/01/25/7-reasons-my-first-business-failed/
http://www.quicksprout.com/2009/01/14/7-business-mistakes-that-nearly-made-me-go-broke/
http://www.quicksprout.com/2009/01/13/want-to-be-successful-then-learn-how-to-sell/
http://www.quicksprout.com/2008/04/10/8-reasons-i-am-successful-and-you-are-not/
That’s what is keeping you moving! isnt’t it?
Neil Thanks for sharing. I try to share my success up to this point with others. But never did in this way, good idea. I am 31years now and nowhere close to where I would like to be. But one thing for sure is that when you fail at somthing it’s just another chance to learn something new.
That is something you can mention in your about page.
thanks, that’s exactly what I will be doing.
Worse case if you find out that your readers don’t like something, just modify the page. My about page has gone through 5 or so revisions.
Hey Neil was wondering what’s the best way to get hold of you I had some SEO questions I would like to ask if you have the time.
Thanks in advance bud.
The best way is to write out your questions on one of my blog posts, and I’ll respond to them right away. That way, in case other people had the same questions, they will see the answer too
Hi Neil,
I was rather inspired by your story. Derek Johnson of Disqus referred me to your page. I’ve been trying over 10 yrs. seeking startup seed for my business and for me, it’s been quite challenging. I’m a single parent of 4 with one remaining in the nest and I see myself running and operating my own business in the near future. I was fortunate to land a job in an educational institution and raise my children on a fairly decent salary. But there is so much more in life that I’d like to achieve as a testament to my children and my entire family. Thank you for sharing your story, I feel that I am taking steps in the right direction by networking with like-minded entreprenuers such as yourself.
Glad to hear it Tyshun. You have had a very interesting journey so far, so I commend you on your present success. Good luck to you in your future endeavors.
A profile that every teenager would dream about, but only a handful could achieve what you have achieved Neil. Congrats!
Way to go…
Thanks! I think a lot of people can achieve what I did (if not more), they just have to be willing to put in the effort.
you are so great. You have a good fighting spirit
hi,
neil patel
good work
my name nitin and my age is 20 and just started my own business, of website . but due too my age not many guys taking me seriously.
please give me some advise.
This is a tough one. The best ways to get people to take you seriously are:
1. Talk professionally around others. In other words, don’t act like a kid.
2. Give valuable advice to people. Even if they think you are a kid, they will listen if your advice is good.
3. Dress grown up.
Great Tips, Neil.
I would like to add few more here.
1. Avoid communication gap for better mutual understand
2. Marketing Management ability would help to grow business
3. Be yourself, what you are, never hide any things and never shows expertise at which you are not.
4. Age does not matter, one of the great example is Niel Patel itself, be confident and serve the best you can. Learn corporate etiquettes.
5. And most Important thing, Don’t work for money in online business, create business relationships with highly qualified services which satisfy your clients.
delete this comment neil but I really feel ashamed of you being the indian origin. You wrote “generally they are cheap” and that hurts me as an Indian. Perhaps, you could have looked at the other side..
Apart from that, I admire how you became successful and especially, your never say die attitude. Congratulations and wish you best success ahead.
I don’t think being cheap is a bad thing. I think being cheap has helped a lot of Indians succeed.
Now, that’s a weak statement.
You should acknowledge the fact that Indians are the “best” minds in the world, and in all honesty, many Indians have made other people succeed, not the other way round.
The way you presented that particular statement was not at all understandable. Well, I think that we lead a much better lifestyle than any other country’s citizen could think of.
We care for anyone and everyone, do not prioritize people based on countries or something. Sorry, but I think you should remove that particular statement.
Best of luck ahead.
@bhavesh I think you may have taken Neils statement out of context, if not, I think his response being cheap is not a bad thing it has helped a lot of Indians succeed probably through saving (not spending) and accumulating wealth cleared it up.
@Swastik in response to your comment “many Indians have made other people succeed, not the other way around” My wife’s Indian, I just got back from Mumbai where I was living for the past 7 months and can tell you that some of the friends and family I employ there consider me helping them succeed because of the pay I give them compared to what they would receive from an Indian company so in their eyes “I, a US citizen am helping them succeed” so I think we need to understand that people’s ideas of success are different from person to person, and there’s people around the world from different cultures helping people from other cultures succeed and great minds come from all areas of the world.
Well, you employed them because you needed them. You would have to pay a LOT more price and get cheaper quality work if you gave that work to another person.
I’m not being biased, neither I have any grunges but I want people to change their mentality of Indians being “cheap”.
Indians certainly take much less pay for work, but they are not “cheap”. I know Neil might have meant in context of money, but the way that statement comes through is simply not something I would digest.
Oh, and those Indians who work for a cheaper rate, they help people accumulate money.
I’m sorry if you felt anything wrong, but I think that statement should not be there.
On the other hand he may not need them and could hire someone from China or Vietnam. The possibilities are endless… I think both sides benefit. It isn’t a one way street.
Swastik, your right the some of the Indian workers I employ I hire for their technical skill, others for personal reasons but I think this has turned off topic as Neil was only sharing his life work experience which was one kind to do in the first place, I mean, you get so many people in the industry that talk about how their experts and how they’ve accomplished this and that… it’s a breath of fresh air when you get a person that’s willing to put it out on the line for open dialogue as Neil’s done here. My take on the whole thing is it was a piece to inspire which it’s done for for me and from the looks of it most people commenting. One more point Swastik, being out in India for that time was a culture shock, I really didn’t comprehend how much I took for granted, now I do. I have a bunch of Indian friends now all of which I admire for their differences, as with each relationship I’ve been able to develop across the world.
I think that is the case with many of us. We take many things for granted until we see them ourselves. For example I have never been to India and I have no idea how it is. Hopefully one day I will end up going.
Thanks for chiming in Donovan. As you stated, outsourcing to Indians helps both sides. I think we both equally benefit from it.
Absolutely Neil, I could start another post on how much outsourcing parts of my business has helped me, it really is beneficial to everyone involved.
I also do the same. The funny thing is, although I am Indian I have never outsourced to India. Most of my outsourcing takes place in Europe.
Neil what type of work do you outsource to Europe companies if you don’t mind me asking =o).
Just some programming stuff. I don’t outsource anything anymore, but I used to.
LOL, ok thanks Neil!
What about sales have you guys ever outsource sale? I tried once and just lost money to the firm. Was thinking of trying again localy. But on the other hand might just expand my sales department. anything you could add to this would be great.
I have, it didn’t go well for me.
Well after the problems I had finding a good sale company to outsource to, I dicided to separate and expand my sales department in to it’s own company.
Don’t outsource sales, do them in house.
I am not trying to stereotype Indians. I do think they are some of the best minds in the world, but I think your thinking is a bit biased. For example, what one person thinks is a good lifestyle may not be “great” for another.
As for removing the statement, I am not because I don’t mean anything bad from it. As I stated earlier, I think it is a REALLY good thing. There is nothing wrong with being frugal and I hope more people in this world learn to save their money.
i’m indian and i’m cheap, very proud of it too. perhaps even too proud, i’ll even brag about how cheap i am.
but i do not wish cheapness for just my people, rather i wish men and women of all cultures will unite to create a global utopia of cheapness. it’d be heaven on earth!
indian or not, i wish you all much cheapness in 2009 and beyond.
Bravo kid!
I am happy to see that people other than myself are proud to be cheap.
Hey guys hold on, Don’t take it to heart, Do not take it personal, This so called guru “Neil Patel” wrote that line just to make the post little controversial and encourage people to post more and more comments. It’s just one of the trick these all internet marketers do to seek your attention, just to make you take some action, just to make you think and reply. Anyways, if this guys is real, my comment will appear on his blog otherwise i would consider this guys the most cheapest Indain on this planet.
I didn’t write that one line to create controversy…
Neil, I think the main problems with us Indians is that we cannot think professionally. We take thinks to heart just like Swastik and Bhavesh did and thus miss out on opportunities. I guess the Babu culture is still quite predominant here and that’s why, inspite of having some of the best minds we still cannot flourish.
We will adapt sooner or later. Everyone tends to take things to heart, we just have to learn not to.
Most of the Indians I know are very successful and very cheap. I have not been to india so just talking about Trinidadians and the ones I meet here. .lol okay grouping the whole race is wrong. but I am Indian so I can lol. However it’s a normal thing for indians to say this about them self. So, No Neil did not say this to spark excitement. infact it’s wired that it sparked so much excitement with another indian person.
Thanks for backing me up.
Hi Neil,
Have you seen the Guru movie (Indian)? It is the best example of being cheap.
I think that being cheap is the first step to grow or succeed in life.
I have.
I couldn’t agree with you more.
Only with Indian people will you find such a extended conversation about being cheap… haha just joking.
Seriously though, there are many ways to get rich not just one. There are many ways to be successful, not just one. There might be trends or certain traits that are common between rich/successful people; but being cheap isn’t a common nor uncommon trait.
Being cheap could be the first step to grow or succeed in life – for some people. It depends on how you view the world.
The problem with being cheap is that you’re coming from a mindset of scarcity. Scarcity of money. You’re limiting yourself. Why? Because you’re being cheap because you’re scared of the use of money. If you had infinite money, would you care? Most likely not.
I think frugal is a better way to attend cheap standards of living. Cheap in itself is not a positive way to live your life.
I can go on forever, and I’m not trying to convince anyone that being cheap is bad.
But if you do study the rich or study those who teach on moving towards that level, not just Indians, you will find that many are far form being cheap. I’m not talking about 6 digit (that’s not rich), I’m talking about people who bring in 1 million/year +.
Neil will probably know what I’m talking about if you don’t believe me.
Yep, you are right. It is easier to save money than make money.
I agree, in regards to Indians, not being able to think professionally, I don’t think this would be a problem solely confined to Indians. Anyone, whose belief system is being challenged would feel obligated to defend it, and heated emotions usually prevail over placid thoughtfulness – a result that is often detrimental to any business transaction.
Indians are very business minded. Obviously not all of them, but a lot of them are.
What makes you think Indians are the best minds? No doubt that some are intelligent people, but that you can say about most nationalities!
Exactly! Every nationality has great minds.
I can’t help but ask… best mind for what? I’d be surprised if there was a genetic predisposition for being the best at everything, sounds like a novel by Huxley.
Just smart people in general.
Neil, I agree with both your first statement that ‘generally Indians are cheap’ and your second one, ‘being cheap has helped many Indians succeed’.
I too have sold door-to-door for long enough to know that it is very unusual for Indians to want to purchase expensive items if a cheaper look-alike can be found. But this, coupled with saving is how you accumulate the capital to allow you to move on to bigger ventures. And that also is a distinct characteristic of Indians in the West.
An Indian friend of mine from New Delhi told me that this year, there will be more billionaires in India than in the USA. And that is just the start.
It is always good to see that others feel being cheap is a good thing.
Wow … we all really need to be a lot less sensitive. People will find any reason to be upset. I think the world would be a lot better place, and it would be much easier to get a long if we all chilled out a little, and sanity checked a statement to see if there was any malice. If there was ignorance, then we should strive to correct it.
Indians are cheap. And by cheap, I don’t mean people pay them little. I mean they are frugal. I know because I am Indian. And no one in their right mind that makes an meager living should be thinking about buying a $1600 vacuum. But plenty of people do (hence the current economic crisis fueled by so many people living beyond their means). I applaud them for having the sensibility to not keep their $1600 vacuum purchase.
I also really applaud you Neil for sharing your story with us with such candor. You are a great role model at such a young age.
Peace
A
Thanks!
I probably should have used the word frugal instead of cheap.
Thanks for the inspiration! I needed to hear a story like that to keep me motivated online. I think that is the hardest part about creating anything online, …the waiting. Gotta let those SERPs catch up.
It took me at least 3 years before things turned around.
this is wonderful overview of your life, As a Indian i can understand how you feel after achieving such a wonderful goal.
still there is always chance of improvement in life and long way to go..
i wish you a all the best for the future..
regards
jigs
Thanks! I wish you a successful life as well.
thanks neil,
I had seen your website acsseo before 8 months, and i used to visit it at every week..such a wonderful design and navigation.
Thanks! We have a few great designers that are in-house.
Just bumped into this site through smashingmag .. and interestingly i got to see advocating the same point of view that i usually do… keep on trying no matter what happen.. and look for other ways around or change however if you find something working good for you do it ‘persistently’… eventually you would succeed, this reminds of I guess of bill gates saying that it’s not your failure to be born poor but if you die poor then it’s really your failure!!!
Best of luck for future successes mate!
It is a numbers game. Something has to hit sooner or later.
Hi Neil,
I’m a 43 year old man with a wife and five children and have been a serial entrepreneur for 20 years. I have over 2 dozen startups under my belt, all either failed or never gained enough steam to start. I have a day job that almost pays the bills, wife works at night to try to make up the rest. Two kids with autism, two more under the age of four, but my oldest boy, 12, shares my entrepreneurial dream (illness!). Spend most of my workday here at a dot com jotting down new ideas and I come home every night with a wad of them which I toss next to my pc in hopes of getting a chance to flesh some of them out before I crash from exhaustion. After all this time my dream of starting up a successful business feels like a drug addiction, and my wife wishes I would give it up because she’s tired of seeing me hurt. I tell her that I would be more hurt if I gave up. I keep telling her that anyone who tries is bound to win at some point, but even I’m beginning to wonder. I’m a marketing person with a strong interest in the brand design aspect of the businesses I work for, consult with or startup myself. At this stage, and after creating so many corporate identities, business plans and marketing strategies, I’d have to say that helping entrepreneurs make their startups look and feel viable to investors and future customers would be my strengths – bringing them to fruition by myself, or with half-interested partners, not so much. Do you think that I should keep trying? If so, might I be of any service to a startup of yours or someone you know? Thank you, Neil!
I think you should adjust your approach. Sooner or later something has to work for you, so you shouldn’t give up. But instead of creating more startups, you should look to join forces with someone who already has a startup and help them. This way you can get equity in their company and reduce your risk because with your current family situation you don’t want to lose more money. When you are young you can take more risks and as you get older you should take less risks.
Greg,
I agree with Neil there that as you get older you have to reduce the amount of risk you would take and the reason is that others depend on you which is not the case when you are younger.
That does not mean that one should stop taking risks completely and keeping that in mind I would say you should keep trying. However, as Neil said you ought to do some different things or have different approaches. The amount of experience you have would be handy for any business and you are bound to be successful or be part of a successful team.
Best of Luck.
The difference is that you need to take more calculated risks. As you get older with more “experience”, you’ll get what I’m talking about.
Hi Greg,
I am 41 and I know what you mean by being exhausted, but you still need to somehow push on an spend 2 hours a night working on your copany, or else nothing will get done.
You might need a fear to push you to do things that you think you are too tired to do. For example, if you were dead tired, and went to sleep, but then awoke to find your house on fire and your family in danger, would you stay in bed because you were “tired”? So you need to find something that will scare you to death to motivate you to do it.
Second, with over 24 start ups, I hope you’ve discovered what works and what doesn’t. You might consider starting up a blog site where you mentor new business people in exchange for some money. That might give you the inspiration and motivation to push on and get bigger and better. However people want to learn from someone who has succeeded, so you might have trouble selling yourself as someone who has failed a lot. But it is up to you, so do what your heart tells you.
Great advice Steve. Thanks for taking the time to help Greg out.
Greg, I have great sympathy with your predicament – BTDT-and-got-the-teeshirt. Here’s a tiny idea which might help. Find an biz concept which is really simple where you absolutely know that you will succeed. (Easiest thing is not to be original, copy a successful biz idea. See also - Classic Inventor’s Mistake). Then do that until you are having reliable success. Later move towards what you’d prefer to be doing.
The point of this approach is that how much effort you put into a project depends on how you feel about it. If you have a succession of ‘failures’ your motivation is bound to drop. And the reverse happens with successes – even if they are’t precisely on target for your long-term aims. Success breeds success and failure similarly. So aim low and build from there.
I was also born in 1985, but I’m elder than you. hehe
As a young guy, hopefully you are using age to your advantage. It is a great way to get ahead in life.
Great story neil, very inspiring indeed. I am looking to make it big in the internet too but the problem is i have a lot of things to take care of which really slows me down. how do you find time to take care of everything?
You just have to plan out your days. You can be amazed at how much time you can save but cutting out the useless stuff like television.
Your history is very inspiring me! Thank you Neil!
Thanks! Let me know if you ever need any help, or anyone for that matter.
I have an online business since the last 5 years and am making well…. Ok. …. But heres the BIG difference…
I am at least a decade older to you!!!
You know what, when my age was what yours is now – I was in college and if any of my friends would get a decent job – I would think well “what an achievementâ€.
After reading what you have achieved in life at 23, I am at a loss of words.
Your resume is unbelievable.
The only thing that comes out of it – Loud and Clear is:
“Nothing is Impossibleâ€.
One question Neil, what are your future plans?
Why I am asking is – You have Been There Done That – Now What?
Dilip Shaw
My future plans are to invest in other .com start-ups. I have already been doing that a bit, but it will be years before I see a ROI from it.
Other than that I hope I have a big exit one day and I am currently looking to diversify in other businesses such as hotels, fast food joints, and gas stations.
omg this is an awesome and inspirational story, funny, with drama, and a neverending happy ending. I look forward to resprouting the seeds of some or all of your ideas. Wish me luck.
best regards
o.
I would wish you luck, but you don’t need it.
Best of luck!
Hi Neil
First of all congratulations on your success, feels great to see Indians reaching heights. I love the way you reply to each of your comments
I work with a web design company in Dubai Internet City as an associate art dir, I do a lot of freelance too here in Dubai. I wanna start my own company soon, not for money but to do good work and control it fully.
My website is: http://www.puneetsakhuja.com
Advice me how to make base for that.
Thanks much buddy, all the best!
P
I will be your first client.
Hopefully that will get you started.
So glad to have checked out your Webside Chats just now.
http://www.jackhumphrey.com/fridaytrafficreport/webside-chats-by-jack-humphrey/
And also to have found your blog. I’ll be hanging out here more often
Another awesome peer to follow on my pursuit of happiness. I’m right behind you I’m 21 in college right now trying to break freeee. I’m not exactly a tech guy but an entrepreneur ready to roll!
You don’t have to go into the tech space, you can be an entrepreneur in any field.
Best of luck!
Hey Neil
Awesome story! I can only hope to gain a fraction of your success.
Keep up the quality content and thanks for sharing your experiences.
One quick question: Do you have any suggestions on how to instill entrepreneurship to high school students bent.. brainwashed into only on studying?
Warm regards,
~Hoo
The best way is to give them examples of how other people their age have made millions and that they can be rich and successful at their age.
By doing this you will get them to start dreaming about being rich and hopefully that motivates them to learn more about entrepreneurship.
I am not sure if you are a teacher, but if you are make sure you have someone else come to your class room and give the speech.
Yes, I am a teacher.
Thanks for responding. You rock!
I have brought in “successful” guest speakers before, but nobody in their age group.
Would you be willing to shoot a short 5-10min video sharing your story and upload it to youtube or something?
Cheers,
If you could email me at neil@acsseo.com with some things you want covered in the video, that would be great.
Do you need my services, I would love to work for a big shot like you are. I am moving around the world, working from different countries but still dont make the money I would like to make.
I want to make at least 1 million USD.
I am not sure if I could afford your services.
Everything was looking pretty sweet until i got to this comment: “Other than that I hope I have a big exit one day…” … is all this just a job to you or are you actually really passionate about it? If you’re passionate about it then how can you already be planning your “big exit”? Ronnie talks about this quite a lot…
The theme on your companies website is incredibly easy on the eyes!! This sites theme is awesome too, but that other one is like caramel, but for eyes.
I think everyone should have goals. Why should someone be in business? In most cases it is because they want to work for themselves, do something they love, and make tons of money. I have been running my own company for years and if you never make tons of money doing so, then what is the point.
yes, your business is just a means to achieve what you really want in life. so everyone should have a big exit planned, but also enjoy the journey that gets you there!
It is all about making yourself happy. If you aren’t happy, then do something about it. This is why everyone should have a plan on how they can get to the end of their journey.
hi neil,
great story. neat site. i’ll bookmark it. just a quick question. i’m a web designer. i love all things web related. but my biggest passion isn’t designing. it’s helping other people achieve their entrepreneurial goals. i have a few ideas i’m working on and my to do list gets longer by the day.
do you tend to work on multiple ideas at a time to keep from getting bored? or focus on one to get it just right?
I try to focus on one idea at a time, but it tends to be where I usually work on 2 things at once.
I just wanted to say that I love CrazyEgg. I got info on it a while ago on Pro Blogger, then I got a membership. It’s awesome. Knowing where you’re visitors are clicking is huge. This is the best program on the market for this in my humble opinion.
Thanks for the support!
Hi Neil,
I admire your success.I have been able to start your own business because you got business background since your childhood.
I didnt get such background .But I am working in India’s largest software company for 1 year and want to start business .How can I do that.
The first step is to figure out what you love and hopefully there is a potential to create a business around it. After you figure out what type of business you want to create, then you just have to DO IT.
I wish I could tell you how you can do it, but in most cases it will be different for each person/business.
Hi Neil ,
If possible give me some businees tips.
Email me some specifics and I can try and help you out.
Great Think!! Great Idea!!
Which qualification to start a Web business?
thanks,
kpjothivelu
kpjothivelu.in
You don’t need any qualifications. You just have to be willing to take risks and work hard.
thanks!! your future plan?
Are u start your company in india?
when,which place?
thanks,
vazha valamudan
kpjothivelu
My future plans are to keep working on my software companies. I haven’t started a company from India yet… for now I am going to stick with starting companies in the United States.
Great Story…Mine is a lot alike right now but I keep on pushing forward. God Bless!
If you are wondering when you should keep on pushing forward or when to quit, consider reading “The Dip” by Seth Godin.
I’ve known you casually for a few years Neil and yet I didn’t know all of this. Great story!
Thanks Lee. When is the Lee Odden story going to come out?
Love the bio, its a shame you couldn’t get into more detail, cause you have some great stories, and many failures and laughs that have made you successful.
I think your positive out look on life and your sense of humour is a big part of your success.
I am proud of you little brother, hopefully one day you ll learn to park a car without damaging it..
I will go into more detail
The bio should be updated within a day or two.
Great story.. it’s amazing you could turn a few months of unsuccessful sales experience into a $3,500 a month consulting gig. That rocks!
Keep swinging the bat dude, looks like you’ve already had some hits, and the home run’s coming I’m sure.
If you need more players on the team, I’m a free agent..
All you have to do is put in the time and effort. That is the main reason people fail.
I have had hits, but sadly they are only singles. I would love a home run, but at the moment I would even take a double or a triple.
As for more players, I am always looking for more players. It is just trying to figure out where they can fit in the overall picture.
Fantastic efforts Neil. Reaching the top of Everest is not as tough as you think it is. Nothing is tough. Its us who make things tough for us. We need to work hard and then everything is possible. Your a good example of that.
Thanks! Hopefully one day I will also climb Everest. It’s probably too cold fore me and a very long journey, but it sounds fun.
good job neil, we are the same age, and i can say i’m not quite successful as you yet, but thanks for showing that ideas can be easily executed into action!
Thanks Eric! If you ever need any help, let me know.
Great story Neil. I look forward to following your bright future. Keep up the good work and keep spreading your advice around.
Thanks Ryan! Hopefully your future is brighter than mine.
hi neil! i just would like to know if you are a programmer by profession. this is because the companies that you co-founded are IT based. thanks!
WOW, very inspiring Neil. The best thing about the whole article is your humbleness of the success you’ve made; congratulations Neil!
Thanks, but I personally don’t think I am successful yet.
Success is a state of mined, You already gain succes at the sec you can see it. The rest is just the out come of succes. alot of people think of the gains as the success and that’s just a buyproduct of success.
Brent
Thanks. My mind says I want 100 million dollars, but I don’t have it yet.
lol you mined just need to embrace the fact that you have a 100mil the rest is just details
LOL, only if it was that easy.
Thanks Neil for your Encouraging words….i will try to follow your paths…
Best of luck! Let me know if you need any help.
Niel, do you think you can help me succeed in my business.i am based in new york and have a trucking company.
Email me more about your company and where you need help.
How do you define success Neil? Is it strictly how much money you have?
Success is more so how much money you have and what you do with it. Or what you do with your life. In my book you are successful if you do something notable, such as spending your whole life trying to find a cure for cancer even if you don’t make any money doing so.
Great answer. People have the mindset that if you are rich, you are successful. Now if the same person has a son or daughter that is addicted to drugs, how can that person be considered successful. He/she failed as a parent.
Yep, there is a lot more to life than just money. Money is a good to have, but don’t let it corrupt you.
Inspiring life story.
Unless you are born with a silver spoon in your mouth, most of us come from simple families that work hard. Not everyone can go to college. The trick is to shed blood, sweat and tears and not to feel like a failure. Put one foot in front of the other and keep going. That’s what was always done.
The difference is that today with the internet, we have great resources right at our fingertips. There is no reason not to be successful. Take advise from experts and make it work for you. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
Reinventing the wheel is one of the major reasons people fail. Even if you think the wheel could be better, it doesn’t matter. All the matters is what the customer wants.
Hi Neil,
thanks for having such interesting website as yours on the net.
Looking forward to more great articles.
Best of luck for 2009!
Cheers
–Hans
Thanks for reading and supporting Quick Sprout!!!!
gotta love the pirated content hustle
LOL. It seems like we both did well selling pirated stuff in high school. Gotta love Napster.
Good job Patel,
Your story inspiring me
Thank you and best of luck with your future.
Neil,
You’re truly an inspiration with all your accomplishments and the fact that you still remain grounded and level-headed.
I’ve been watching your rise to success for the last little while and have to say that you have helped motivate me to push harder and aim higher because I see the possibilities that are out there. And like you said, if you don’t like the hand you’re dealt, do something to change it!
Thanks for sharing your story and being so candid. Like you, I love helping others, so don’t be shy to let me know if I can help you out with anything.
To your continued success!
I’m glad to be of assistance. Let me know if you need anymore pushing.
Hi Neil,
Thanks
Anukul here from Delhi(INDIA). Right now I’m working as UI Expert. You know what after working almost 4years in companies now feeling Still I’m not in right place. think to quit soon & hopefully will start web/application development and affiliate marketing business.
Looking forward for your valuable suggestions for the same.
Thanks,
anukul4all@gmail.com
You should start a company while you are still working at your current job. Once your company starts taking off, you can then quit your job.
Agreed with you.
let me should acknowledge my situation to you. actually I have to finish MCA backlog papers as well, which I can’t due to job things so think to take break from job for 6-8 months. But at other side I think to make my folio and start my own business.
Please suggest.
Thanks,
Anukul
Hey Anukul, I am not 100% sure what you are asking. Can you please clarify your question.
Thanks
Neil,
Nice story which also motivates me to do something instead of doing just simple job and be happy.
If you come to bayarea please let me know. We would like to motivate other kids in our temple(vaishnav temple).
BTW:- My son name is also Neil Patel and I think we might have bidded in auction for neilpatel.com !! upto $500.
Thanks
KEtan patel
LOL, I missed the bidding on it. Luckily one of my friends bidded on it and bought it for me.
Hi Neil, I just got here and read your story very inspiring I am 41 years old guy, just lost my job, at the moment I am blogging and doing Internet marketing for the past 6 months, only small ncome I made from my blog, but I have this hunch feeling I’m on the right path, I need your opinion should I get a real job again or do pure Internet Marketing Entrepreneur although we all know it’s tough.Need your input
I would try to do both. Once your own business takes off then you can leave your new job. If you have a good amount of money in the bank and have no family, then you may not need a job, but being 41 years old, I would consider getting one.
You don’t even sound remotely intelligent, let alone successful. If you are wasting a MILLION dollars in one investment (that you lost entirely) you sound like a fool.
All of these pats on the back are ridiculous. And as for the Indians being cheap thing… jeez people, lighten up, there are far worse stereotypes than being considered cheap. Especially in the sense that was implied, which was being frugal.
The measure of success is going to be different for each person. You are probably right in that I am foolish and not successful. I am not saying that I am not well off, but compared to some of my friends, I haven’t accomplished what they have yet.
Hey Neil,
It was nice meeting you at the Mixergy 2.0 event at Earth Bound Media. Like you told me to I checked out your website
Anyway, great story and very useful website. I actually used Crazy Egg for a past project. I thought it was a great tool. Anyway, I thought your idea of doing monthly drink-togethers in the OC wasn’t a bad idea…I’m bummed I’ll be missing you guys at Yardhouse tonight. Have a blast!
Maybe we will see you the next time we go out. Thanks for checking out my blog.
Quite inspirational. Came across a similar story a couple of days ago on digg
http://digg.com/tech_news/10_Questions_with_Mr_Dushyant_Bhatia_CEO_of_Blogertize
This guy also saw an opportunity in recession and is makin some quick bucks in there
Truly motivating to see such stories. Wish I could come up with something innovative someday
Thanks for the link. I will check it out.
What an inspirational story…as a recent college grad I’m working a full time job, blogging, and helping form a few startups myself. Always good to see some other successes, especially at a young age like myself!
Keep up the work. That is the best time to start a company because there are a lot of people around you that can help.
Please I would like you to help me to start a business of my own. I am a youth in Ghana in the West Africa
Email me with what you need help with and I will try and do my best to help you out.
Hey Neil,
We have communicated in the past in reference to the “the black card”- I work with Amex.
Anyways..Great story and an inspiration to all. My parents came here with nothing and worked in a factory 12 hours shifts and when my mom was 3 months pregnant with my sister…she was eating Cheeseburgers..b/c thats all they could afford (and she doesn’t eat meat) and I look at what they have built today on their hardwork and dedication….
Keep up the good work..
You should get Amex to reduce their fees.
I think I’ve heard of this black card guy…
Great seeing you at Quick Sprout. Didn’t we meet at the OC Mixergy?
I hope so. The more connections I can make for guests at Mixergy, the more it’ll grow.
Thanks for helping me make more connections!
Inspiring story. You have done well.
Hopefully you do better than I did.
I’m so much inspired from reading about you, and you tell it …very interestingly.
I’ve used Crazyegg long back, when it had sort of like a “free” version.
Nice to meet the guy who helped start it.
Again, a truly inspiring story!
Always glad to meet a Crazy Egg user!
Neil,
It is humbling to learn of your life’s path. Looking back, I’m certain every experience added up to be the perfect recipe for your current success. Although we are different in age, I feel you on the losses, mistakes, and people ripping you off… I too have been ripped off. You are so right, the people you care for and eat with are the ones that rip you off the most. Lost millions and couldn’t have been at a worse time. Well we all live and learn.
I’m starting a internet marketing service company as well, keep us posted on (at least some) of trade secrets and know-how.
Happy 2009!
Let me know if you need any help or have any questions in regards to your Internet company.
Wow!
Amazing story Neil and quite inspiring. I found your site from Smashing Magazine and am glad I did. Great job.
Thanks for sharing.
Ed
Thanks for letting me know where you came from. I was wondering if Smashing Magazine readers would like my blog…
Hey Neil,
This was indeed an amazing story. We have an aweful lot in common. Next time you’re in seattle we should do breakfast again.
We should. I will be there at the end of this month.
You have a great story i have been following you for awhile now. You said dont be afraid to ask so i will ask several question.
1. How did you manage to get a million bucks to investing in hosting company that failed?
2. Crazy egg did you program it yourself if not where did you find the programmers and what programming language did they used?
1. I borrowed the money from family.
2. I found programmers and they programmed it in Ruby on Rails.
Thanks for the reply. i love your blog.
No problem. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Wow, very inspiring story, Neil. I know there were lots of failures along the way, but they seem to be what has brought made you to eventually succeed. Didn’t the experts say “success is failure turned upside down”? Thanks for sharing your story. Like I said, it will surely inspire lots of people, especially those who want to give up after one or more failures. Like you said – “life isn’t fair” but we can’t stand at the sidelines and complain about this fact. Instead, let’s keep keeping on until life at least becomes “fair” for us.
I like that saying. It pretty much is failure turned upside down.
Dear Patel:
I am Student of Entrepreneurship. I am looking for an entrepreneur for my life case study assignment. Would you plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz give an interview. I am really very surprised by your creative ideas and thinking that how could u do that.
Your greatest, biggest fan is waiting for your positive reply
Love,
Furqan
No problem. Just email me the questions and I will answer them.
Fascinating and all done at a very young age. Truly inspiring. My blog is a directory of stuff like this I find on the internet. Am definitely going to put a link to this blog.
Thanks for supporting!
I heard lot about yours but first time i read and get a chance to know about yours, your story very inspiring specially for Youth who want to make money with hard work. Our best wishes always with yours.
Thanks! Best of luck to you to.
Hi Neil,
Thanks for your story, it was very inspiring. I find it interesting that you said as a child you were able to live a middle class lifestyle, but you still desired to live a “rich” lifestyle. In many biographies I’ve read, the person started off dirt poor and because of their dis-satisfaction with their situation, it drove them to do whatever it took to build a better life for themselves. This concept is repeated by many immigrants, who realize that America has many oppportunities if you work hard and work smart.
But I sometimes think that I lack that needed motivation because I was rasied in a middle classs lifestyle and I am basically surviving now, but it is far from my dreams.
Can you maybe write a new story to share tips on how you used your dreams to create motivation to work hard even though you were comfortable to live a middle class lifestyle? And how you were able to keep going when nothing seemed to be working? Perhaps it would give me and others an extra insight or motivation to wake up early, work hard at the right things (working smart), work late, and do it consistently each day as steps to get to our goals. Often as we get excited and start working, the results are not as we have dreamed them, so we get discouraged and slack off or stop working toward our goals. What is the magic of persistance to make you keep going?
I will try to write a blog post on that. The hard part about it is that I don’t know how I used my dreams…
Well maybe start with what pushed you to want to have a lot of money? Was it watching your uncles who had good businesses? Was it watching lifestyles of the rich and famous on TV and wanting to have lots of money to buy things? And then once you had that dream what kept you going toward it even though you were not selling any vacuums?
For me, I just dreamed about money. Watching TV shows like Cribs on MTV helped push me forward.
Hey turban boy, you are annoying me with your comment notifications, why dont you setup comment notifications only once and when you click on email link you get a new comment email again again.
This is how you do it, you are trasking my emails for fuck sake
I am sorry. I just unsubscribed you from getting notifications.
With every email there is a link to unsubscribe. All you have to do is click the link and you won’t get anymore email notifications.
Also when posting a comment, you don’t have to click the “subscribe to comments” check box.
Once again, I do apologize for all of the emails.
SEOANDWEBDESIGN.COM, you just embarrassed yourself with your rude comments and now your comment will be online for all to see whenever they search for your domain name.
Besides, this blog is built by wordpress, and Neil doesn’t have anything control over how it sends email notifications. It is so simple to unsubscribe, just click the link in the email. If you can’t figure that out, then I’m scared to think about what kind of quality of web and seo stuff you do. And if these comments are trashing your inbox, then you don’t have a very busy inbox, so you better get to work improving yourself.
Steve, thanks for the support. I really appreciate it.
WOW, you have given me great inspiration. Thank you for sharing and good luck with all life endeavor. I can only dream of having one successful like yours!
You don’t have to dream about it, you can. Just be willing to put in the time and effort.
Congratulations,
What a sum of lessons… Your tale gives me some confidence again at a time of doubts.
Would you agree to see your text translated for my french news journal ? It will reach soon the 500,000 visits (total…) and your example should please all readers. For another english edition (mostly read throughout Thailand), I could just direct-link it as is…
Thanks and all the best !
That would be really cool if it is translated into French.
Hi Neil
I just came across this page. Before this I was doing some research and looking to get latest information and industry trends for Internet, so I can make a good online marketing strategy for my new startup thats almost 9 months old and we are raising finances for it.
I really enjoyed reading your biography and after reading it I am more inspired now. It happened many time in life with me when I am about to give up and a book, article, biography or a person help me to gain confidence again and push me forward. So did you.
Thanks Neil.
Thanks for that.
Anyone can do what I did, if not a lot more. You just have to be willing to put in the time and effort. Best of luck!
Hi Neil,
I like you. You have a very inspiring story that would benefit most young entrepreneurs. And dude, you are funny and to the point kinda person. All the best! Cheers!
Thanks! Some people don’t like how I am frank, but I rather not beat around the bush.
Hi Neil,
I’m done with the 2 reports intended to relay your talk amongst the french-speaking community & others. Please send me in private some address, in order to post you the hidden links to the articles (so that you can check before I publish).
Thanks
Don’t worry about it, I trust you. Feel free to re-publish. You don’t need my approval.
OK thanks, there you can see the referral of this blog (nothing changed) :
http://www.thainewsland.com/?l=en&a=378541
and translated into french language:
http://www.global-report.com/mb/?l=fr&a=290881
Regards,
MB
Thanks for translating my info.
hire me ^^
I don’t have any job openings right now, but send over your resume. If I have something that may fit you, we can go from there.
Hi Neil
Hates of you buddy….i will follow your foot step.
can you please give me some idea regarding how to become a king of big deal like you.
or can you share some knowledge with me, if possible.
Thanks & Regards
Kamal Patel
There are 2 things you can do.
1. Go back through my old posts on Quick Sprout and read them. They will teach you a lot about being “a big deal”.
2. Help out as many people as you can. Don’t ask for anything, just help people out. It will help with your branding.
Hi Neil,
Its very nice to here about you.I got some idea how to improve…..it was very inspiring. I find it interesting that you said as a child you were able to live a middle class lifestyle.
Yea, my parents tried to provide a decent lifestyle. I was lucky enough to not have to worry about the basic things such as food and shelter.
Hi Neil,
I have to know lot of things from you.If you are ready to teach me please let me know.I will explain to you all the questions?
Regards
Shaun
Email me when you are ready. I don’t know what I can teach you… but if you ask me questions I will try my best to answer them.
Great story…
.
I think you should write your story in more detail.
I think you can even write your autobiography
This page is also bookmarked for future reading.
Thanks Mike. I am not sure how much more detailed I could get, but I will give it a try.
i don’t read ABOUT page much but i read yours , it was hard work from you , so you reach a good stage . but you should thank your sister because she was supporting you and she have a big role in your life ” sure beside your parents “
Yea, my sister does a lot for me. She still helps me out.
To know the truth one must accept anything happens in their live, without resistence
Nice quote. I think everyone should accept everything that happens to them. Your past is what makes you who you are.
Calling Indians cheap is insulting. I understand what you meant; that some Indian are cost conscious and save a lot of money by living frugal, but putting it that way is not a good way of describing a community.
Have a good day!
I am not trying to insult Indians… I think it is a good thing.
I love how in depth your About page is- it’s very interesting to learn so much about the person behind a site right away. Today is my first time to your site and I am intrigued by your experiences! I’ll be reading more of the site, definitely. Thanks!
Danelle Ice (Homemaker Barbi)
Welcome to Quick Sprout!
I hope you like the blog content.
I agree that a beta is more important than a business plan.
A good in between is creating a focus plan.
Yeah, I’ve been getting feedback everyone I know on earth
on how to compete with eBay and it’s very enlightening.
Concentrate on their weaknesses and don’t create a copycat site.
Neil
I enjoyed reading your business history. It could be made into a movie. I have a website called http://www.gasstations.com. Me, my father in-law and brother in-law came up with the idea. We are trying to sell advertising to support it. Would you take a look at it and let me know what you think of it. My father in-law and I also have a business brokerage company where we sell c-stores, hotels and other retail businesses. It is http://www.gasstationsforsale.com. My question is this, how do we get more companies to advertise with our http://www.gasstations.com website? Thank you for your time. I really enjoyed your website.
The best way for you to get advertisers is create a list of all the potential companies that could advertise. Once you do that call each of them up and see if they would be interested in advertising.
I know this solution sucks, but it works.
Inspiring life story. All the best dear.
Thanks! By the way, you should consider picking a simpler design for your blog.
Thanks for your suggestions Neil. Its nice to know you have visited my blog. I will definitely work on this suggestion.
As a blogger you are already on the right path by listening to others. A lot of bloggers have egos… it is good to see that you don’t have one.
I m novice in this field.So learning is the only thing i can afford. Your story was inspirational.Its nice to see that a Indian has done this.I changed my blog design. Plz have a look at it.
I am a PHP developer and worked on Wordpress. You can have a look on this website http://theviewpaper.net. I developed this.I am thinking developing my own Theme for my blog and my own webhosting. So till then i have to suffice with these themes.
Thanks
The design isn’t too bad, but it isn’t a standard layout. I would consider using a standard 2 column layout.
The link to theviewpaper.net doesn’t work.
Ok.
http://theviewspaper.net/ try the link again. Its working.
I like that theme much better than the one on your blog. I still prefer the 2 column layout… but that could just be my personal preference.
Really inspiring story. I look forward to reading more from you as I just started blogging last month. I got linked from shoemoney
Cool! Thanks for letting me know where you came from.
Best of luck with your blog.
Neil,
Nice story and can truly appreciate what you have done for yourself.
I would love a chance to speak with you and get some advice, etc….
thanks.
Send me an email and we can go from there.
Weird story. I came across your site because my friend put a warren buffet quote on his facebook status. I googled it and then i found this: http://www.quicksprout.com/2008/12/19/be-fearful-when-others-are-greedy-and-greedy-when-others-are-fearful/
I would imagine that other people would find your site from your other web sites or maybe if they’re searching for SEO-related articles.
Anyways, nice accomplishments for your age. I’m 3 years older than you but nowhere near anything you have done. I hope I can learn more from you.
Thanks,
Hertanto Lie
Thanks for taking the time to read Quick Sprout.
That is a great story. It is funny how life can run you around and around in circles while you are searching for a better thing. I believe that I have a similar personality. My folks were high school teachers, but I have an entrepreneur from day one. In fact, I was just talking with some friends the other day that I have never had a job, were I received vacation time or any benefits other than a discounted seasons pass to Mt Baker.
I look forward to keeping up with your future adventures via quick sprout.
Thanks for subscribing!
Best of luck with your ventures.
what an amazing story neil! truly, hard work will get you anywhere. the best of luck to you & your future endeavors! =)
Thanks! Hard work is something that always pays off.
Its great advice for me.It will encourage me always.Thanks Neil for this post.Keep it up.
Cool! Best of luck1
Yes , hard work always pays off, it’s the inside feeling of succeed and not to give up midway .
It is hard not to give up when you aren’t seeing success for a very long time. The key is to setup small milestones that you can reach every so often.
That’s the exact phrase we are looking Neil, ever onward though not seeing real success, yet making milestone on every progress.
Just keep in mind that you won’t hit every milestone. That’s OK. Just keep pushing forward.
You inspire us………………
Nice to read your story.
Thanks! I think everyone can inspire others, they just have to be willing to share their experiences.
This gives me a lot of inspiration
. I love things on internet, but have many worries abt future
I am from India, Always thinking of which career to choose
Thank you boss!
Choose the one you love. Don’t just do something for the money!
Great blog…wonderful story (on you!). It’s funny – my blog isn’t “selling” anything. I write about what moves me…it was designed to be a prose version of my radio talk program. And it’s working…but, no dollars are flowing in. And yet, the blog is getting more readers every day.
I’m not giving advice; I’m not a consultant; I’m not a strategist. But I believe when one writes the truth (read: something he/she is passionate about), people become absorbed. Whether talking about a major sporting event, a news headline or something crazy that happened with my daughters, there are touchstones for people to grab onto…
…Much like what you’ve written. I’ll be back often! Good writing – honest writing, no matter the topic, is something I enjoy.
Thanks! Once you build up a big readership you will figure out how to make money. You first want a really solid reader base.
Got into this site through smashingmag, got to tell you that I am impressed at your portfolio of achievements at such a young age. Man, at 21 I was a rockstar of a different kind.
I do have my own sites too which gives me an extra income.
Thanks! No matter what kind of rock star you were at 21, you will be fine…
Interesting story, but have you actually made any money overall? Sounds like a lot of fail, mixed with hype.
I have. I am making more than I lost.
Heya. Thanks for all of these tips–it’s really helpful. Within the next few months, I’d like to start my first blog. So this kind of advice is really needed for me.
I hope you don’t mind me going into this and asking for some further advice. I have some issues with my mental health that make it difficult for me to have a typical day job, so I thought that my interest in art, writing and the internet would make it a good idea for me to try to provide me with some income.
Do you know of any other ways, sites or tips regarding trying to make it in the “blogging business” successfully?
Thank you!
Read problogger.net, shoemoney.com, copyblogger.com, and johnchow.com.
Neil I love stories like yours. They are inspiring and show what can happen with we venture out of our “comfort zone”, believe in ourselves, and take risks.
I’m preparing for a launch in March of a robust but easy to use web platform to manage email, email marketing, autoresponders, video, calendar, contacts, documents,etc all from one interface. I’m preparing to hit the ground running, to get the information “out there” as quickly and effectively as I can as I see this to be an essential tool for businesses.
I’ve just begun blogging and your website has great advice!
Thankyou!
Best of luck with your venture. You will probably get tons of positive feedback and negative feedback when you launch. Just make sure you learn from the negative feedback and don’t let it slow you down.
Thank you so much for sharing that. That’s great. I will totally have to write an about me page that is detailed as that. Congrats on not giving up.
Internet marketing is hard and knocks you down a lot, but it’s important to get back up.
Good job!
It takes a lot of time to do so, but you won’t regret it.
The idea behind all great idea is always keep motivated at all stages, and that is not easy, especially when you are not making or making small money in this business, one side of our mind says we want to quit and other side says we have to continue, it’s like talking to yourself, if we understand Zen teaching, every time we wake up from bed, sometimes we speak to ourselves, has our master really we wake up, becoming one and focus requires abundance of mind power to do it and by practicing it through Internet Marketing is a good way to know your determination to keep persistence on this path or not.Before I make comment to this great community I astonished reading one of comments from Alvin Phang blog, gathersuccess.com, a woman can cure herself from stage 4 cancer using her mind power to do it, take that as a motivation.Good luck to you all.
WOW! I’ll have to check out that blog. Thanks for telling me about it.
Neil you are amazing. Your achievements pale only to your courage to succeed. You will do well in life. Stay as focused as you are now.
Be well
I hope so. I haven’t made it big yet…
Neil,
I think that no one should allow him/herself to become complacent. As God’s creatures, we should all strive to do more, be more, etc. Reward doesn’t always always some in the form of money, however.
I agree. It is my greed getting to me.
Neil,
When you have a talent, it should be exploited. If it makes tons of money for you, all the better. One consequence of creating wealth, is that it enables others too to make money. They receive employment, either directly or indirectly, as a result of your efforts.
I didn’t think of it that way. I do employee a good amount of people.
Hi Neil,
just was going through tweets and got on to your website., it was inspiring for me to read your story …i am just 21 and want to live the same life you live today. will try my best…
bye
Harish,India
Hopefully you will be more successful than I am.
Best of luck!
Where can I get creative cards made like the ones in your article “51 creative cards” I am trying to find them for a gift!
I would contact http://www.davidairey.com/
Hey did you go to CSUF? I have a feeling I’ve seen you on campus.
I did.
Nice. Good to see a fellow CSUF alumni making it big! What was your major?
Marketing. It took me 5 and half years to get my degree.
Well it took me 5 years to get my CS degree. Where/how did you learn the technical aspects for creating sites like CrazyEgg, KISSmetrics, etc? Or did you just hire programmers like me?
I hired programmers.
lol….that was funny
It’s the truth.
Thanks, your story is really motivating me, Its nice to see an Indian Origin to do such great things in life, proud to be an Indian
all the best for your Future
A lot of Indians do well. I just hope to be on that list of the successful Indians one day.
Your story is really inspiring neil. i have no words……
You have tons of words, you just have to think about them.
A really encouraging story for young developers like me.
Even I left my job with IBM to start my own company.
I am into Adobe Flex & Actionscript Development, and specialise in Flex widgets & AIR desktop applications.
I know I have a long way to go. If you have time, please do visit my website.
Rahul,
ActionScript Developer
You will do well. Developers are always in demand, even in a bad economy.
Your’s is a truly inspiring story, and hats off to you buddy for trying. You’ve just taught me something: Never give up…cuz i already have given up (i’m 26, only have my associates degree, jobless and the only thing i’m good at is putting up main frames together). Wish i could do change that
Incase you haven’t yet, I would read this post: http://www.quicksprout.com/2009/03/02/don‘t-give-up
Your post are amazing i love to read it
Thanks for taking the time into reading my long story.
Thanks for sharing your story and congratulations on all your success! You have really accomplished a lot at such a young age. I had never heard of you before and kind of stumbled across your blog by accident. I am familiar with Crazy Egg, though. We use it at work all the time and love it.
Thanks for supporting Crazy Egg!
Hi Neil, glad I found your blog! I am starting up my first business right now! Seriously like right now I am filling out the FBN paperwork. I just wanted to say hi and thanks for the resources and inspiration!
Cool. I hope to see you here again.
Hi Neil,
I just look to your website. Great and inspiring.
Thank you for all your sharing. Wish you all the best…
No problem. Hopefully this inspires you to share your story.
Hey Neil,
I am really impressed by your achievement. I believe, if there is a ‘will’ there is a ‘way’ but you changed this by making a WAY for yourself and creating a WILL for all of us to think SMART
I too am a young entrepreneur trying my ways to succeed in my business and your blog has just inspired me to Think Big, Work Hard, and Believe that, the Best is yet to come!!
Best Regards,
Meghna
You got the right attitude. You will be successful.
Well it’s great to see a fellow indian working hard and
Getting what he deserves.
Have to appreciate your will.
Keep doing the good work!!!!
Sam
Thanks, will do!
It is great to see someone younger doing so well. I am finding it difficult to find affiliates/ partners for web projects. I have been webhosting for 2 years, but have been web designing for more than 5 and last year finally got done with one of my degrees despite having a 6 year old son. I have a network of sites, and most are interactive on some level.
However, I have not become, as they say “financially free”… it seems a lonely journey, but I am optimistic that eventually I will make the right connections as I have been striving to do.
Anyway, your story is encouraging.
Just keep on pushing forward. Things will look better sooner or later for you.
I always want to change my lifestyle and i constantly think of ways to do so. Your life has inspired me in a true sense to start something really substantial and make a difference to my life as well as others.
Thanks and all the best
No problem! Best of luck!
I don’t usually sit and read someone’s blog, but yours seems interesting and when I read about all of your ups and downs leading up to your success it really makes me think. I for one have never been rich, in fact I live on the line of poverty. I work p/t and trying to put myself through college for web design (my ultimate goal is to be a photographer/web & graphic designer all while trying to enjoy life with my son 5 year old son. I’ve always wondered what i could do to help myself and then I realize that it takes patience, virtue and the will to understand what you are good at and how you need to make it happen. Maybe one day I’ll be able to live boss free-And put my son through college as well.
Thanks for the words of encouragement!
Great achievement by you. Your story is highly motivating. I hope I follow your path to gain success like you.
Thanks! Hopefully you become much more successful than me.
Neil how do you find the time to do everything that you do? Just found your blog through Jack Humphrey interview with you. Think it’s the first time that I have sat down and read all these comments at once. Really like your blog and will enjoy reading going forward.
Thanks
Louis
I don’t know. I don’t have much time these days… hence the lack of blog posts.
I must learn from you Neil.. I want to become a “rock star†Neil.. I will be your loyal readers..
Appreciate it. Do what you love and you will get there.
Hey Neil, I just read your story and saw your picture and realized that your friends with Warren…We used to hang out back in high school…Can’t really ask him for any advice because he never takes me seriously..well anyways, hopefully you can help me out….Im trying to start a internet biz of my own, and I don’t know how to create a buzz for it and get people talking about it. Do you have any tips prior to the launch of a website to build a buzz and get traffic flowing right away?
Create a great product/service. That is the best tip I can give.
Hi Neil. Really good way of writing about your life. In my point of view you, its hard to express and tell everything about own life to other person. Or may be I am less expressive. But one need courage to share everything as you have did.
In this internet era every one wants to earn online. I still remember days when I am in school in 10th I got land line bsnl phone. So India was not that much technology friendly. But now I have seen younger Indian entrepreneur.
Any ways, Keep it up with success.
You have to learn a niche and get good at it. Don’t try and learn everything.
Tell me something Neil, how do you motivate and spark yourselves, when your down?
I just think about money.
Hi Neil,
Greetings from Morocco. I got led to your blog through the Thesis theme’s promotional website. I’m an intercultural learning consultant in the late 30’s. Your practical internet marketing tips are greatly appreciated, but your life story is really inspirational. Thanks for your willingness to share your knowledge and to wish others to do better than yourself.
No problem. If you don’t use Thesis, you should consider it.
Hi! i just read your journal, i wish i can have a view like you. I am 27 years old, and also doing internet marketing now. however,sadly, i have nothing in my hand. my income is not stable also. thanks for the post, it let my know that i have a chance to improve all things from now on.
Keep on cranking away. It gets better as long as you keep on pushing hard. A lot of the good Internet marketers are also struggling right now.
Hi Neil
How can I,at 25 years of age,become a Neil Patel ? I ruminate 16/24 hours online in a hope to make money ?Please guide me.
Do what you love and keep on learning more. As long as you keep on trying something good will happen.
Neil,
Did you ever finish college?
I did. It took my 5 and a half years, but I finished it.
Where did you finish it at? Did you find it distracting that you were doing your thing and going to school at the same time?
And why did you finish it doing what you were doing?
California State University of Fullerton.
It was very distracting, but my parents wanted me to finish it.
So you were making 6+ digits while going to school?
Yep, but 6 figures isn’t that much money these days.
I think I was doing a good 6 figures a year in high school and a good 6 figures a month in college.
That’s great man, it’s good hearing things like that.
Did it ever kill your credibility that you were a student? People not taking you as seriously being a student, people wondering why you were in school, hating on you at school, etc?
Oh, and what kind GPA did you grade with?
I was in school because my parents forced me to finish.
As for my GPA I think I had a bit under a 3.0 in college.
Very compeling bio Neil
Your early entrepreneurs attitude made you what you are today…which is tottaly amazing
Can you tell me what personal qualities you are most proud of and which helped you the most in your journey?
My favorite is being aggressive. I may be too aggressive at some points, but I love it. If I see something I want, I go after it.
Neil, call me pedantic, but do you appreciate that in the UK the word ‘aggressive’ would describe someone who likes to attack you physically, violently maybe. In the US, the word has taken a different meaning, ie using energetic action to pursue a goal.
Note also that there is an important difference between being aggressive and being assertive. There is nothing wrong with assertiveness, it means not being afraid to state your views on an issue; aggressiveness (here) implies threatening others.
Robert
Thanks for the heads up, I didn’t know that the word aggressive in the UK means to get physical.
Wow! It’s funny how God allows you to stumble on certain things, to realize that you are either on the right path or wrong path. I literally stumbled onto your blog and I needed to hear [read is more like it] what you had to say. Wasn’t sure what I was doing here in the blog-o-shere world. After reading your about page and your things you would change post changed my thinking about what it is I’m gonna do in the online world.
Thank you. Please know you are now official bookmark! And you have a new subscriber. Looking forward to learning more about you and your lessons.
Thanks for bookmarking the site. I really appreciate it.
Wow, that was absolutely inspiring. So many things stuck out and surprisingly strike similarities to what I’ve experienced.
I’m 22 today and not quite sure of where to land in the corporate vs. entrepreneurial world. Don’t want to make the wrong career move, but at this age, is there even a such thing as a wrong move? What to do, what to do.
Not really. Do what your heart tells you to do. If you really love something, go that route.
Hi Neil,
I read your quality posts from few months. You have a good skill to maintain quality as per search engine and visitors’ requirement.
Good job.
Best luck for bright future.
Thanks! I will try and write more often.
congratulations man..
you’ve been persistent and have succeeded. sounds a bit like my story as i have tried so many different biz but none have led me to make any real money. though i keep positive and know that 2009 will be the turning point.
once again congrats and btw i love crazyegg.. really great product you’ve come up with.
Thanks for supporting Crazy Egg.
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How do you work that out Neil?
We live in a hyper competitive world, everybody would like the big income, few have it; ergo, they are or do something which the masses don’t.
Don’t kid yourself about untalented people making it big. Most likely you haven’t yet realised exactly where their talent lies.
Robert
Good point. I should go deeper and try to get to know people a bit better before making judgements.
Unreal Neil. Congrats on your hard work and achievements!
Thanks. You can have great achievements too.
Nice way of recovery, like your Story. If I knew 10 years ago what I know now, I might be rich by now. you about story remind me off all the thing I done to get to where I am now.
but by the meanwhile who know, right now my Internet business is on hold, because I landed a job at a hospital near at home, as an consultant that pay approximated 2500 month.
It is never too late. You can become rich no matter how old you are.
Neil,
Great story and even better the way you elaborated it. The most remarkable part is that you started again after having lost..quite a bit.
Pls keep us posted on your latest happenings!
Cheers!
Will do. Every few months I try an update my about page.
Very inspiring story of your way to the top Neil! What would you say was your one key to success?
I never gave up.
Your story is Interesting N Inspiring Neil, I like your point ‘ If one way is not good go to another way if you can, but never stop going towards success….!’
Yep, sooner or later you will succeed.
All start with good intention and good Karma will be on your path.
Thanks! I am a big believer in karma.
Wow, incredible story! I wish you well in your new lifestyle. It is an inspiring story…I will work hard aswell and see where I end up!!
Thanks! Best of luck to you too. Let me know if I can help in any way.
Great story Neil. Young entrepreneurs like yourself always impress and intimidate me. I think your story is inspirational for many, especially when I find myself right in the depths of learning web analytics. Since I am just completing my education at the University of Washington I am in search of a company where I can “relaunch” my career in web marketing and analytics. I say “relaunch” because I left my employer after 7 years consulting with local SMBs in print and online advertising. Thanks again for sharing your story.
Never be intimidated by us. Remember we are still young and can learn a lot from people like you.
Really inspiring story. I couldn’t do even close to what you did at this age. BTW, I am an Oracle Consultant.
I wanted to be an Oracle consultant, as you already know. It seems like a cool and fun job.
I found your profile on twitter and found your story to be very inspiring. It is amazing how much one person can do by the age of 23.
Thank you for making a positive contribution and for being an inspiration.
No problem. I guess I will have to Twitter more so I can get more people to my blog.
wow!!! All I have to say is wow!! You truly are an inspiration. Your biography was beautiful to read. I myself am in that mode right now (started a little late..lol) But I am trying to create new business ideas that I beleive the world needs. Thanks for the inspiration. I won’t give up on them.
Keep in mind that ideas are a dime a dozen. It is all about execution.
Best of luck!
Thanks a lot. I will definitely need it. And I do agree with you. It’s all about execution and marketing at the right time.
And don’t spread yourself too thin. Stick with 1 idea and not 10.
Very True. Now that I need a lot of help on.
Just pick the idea that you like the most and feel that has the most potential.
Also pick the one that is doable and in your means. For example, don’t pick an idea that takes 100 million dollars.
Hey Neil,
Your story is truly amazing and very inspiring! Congratulations on your success.
I got into web design about 4 years ago and moved to front end development and finally to SEO/Online Marketing. About 2 years ago I started a supplement review site but haven’t touched it until recently. About a month after I started working on it, it really started making some decent money ($1,000/month). I think my biggest challenge is that I often feel like I can and should be doing bigger and better things, but I’m not. I get discouraged with working on the same site because I feel like there are more efficient ways to do things, but I dont know what they are. I often have ideas for tools that can speed up the process, but I dont know how to make them. I often have ideas for new sites but either dont start them or start them and dont finish them. Execution is everything, this I know, but how do I get better at executing things if I’m doing the same thing over and over?
Thank you,
Marko
Marko I here you on that. I design and feel the need to enhance my web development skills. When your learning new things your progress can be daunting. Congratulation on making money. Trust when I say not always easy to do.
Will
You and Marko should contact each other. You can both probably learn a decent amount from each other.
Figure out where you are inefficient and try to improve upon it. Because if you are inefficient you won’t be able to execute as much due to lack of time. You can do this through software like http://www.rescuetime.com or you can start talking to other designers and ask them how they are improving on their efficiency.
Also look back at your past and see were you messed up when it came to execution. Learn from your past mistakes.
Neil is right in saying that “lack of time” really means failing to understand the relative importance of the items that make up your day. According to the Pareto Principle, only a small part of what you do is responsible for moving you towards what you aim to achieve. The rest of your day is consumed by things that hardly contribute. The trick is recognizing which is which and then cutting down on the weakly-leveraged ones. If you do that, you will have the time you need for the essential actions.
It is all about being efficient. Sometimes you can get a lot more done working 4 hours a day than 8 hours.
Very inspirational story.. thanks for sharing your experiences
No problem. You should also share your experiences on your website.
Hey Neil,
I’ve read about 4 or 5 posts on your blog thus far. It’s all very high quality stuff, no filler. Thank you for taking the time to write them.
I’m doing my best to follow your advice and the advice of others that I deem to be valuable to more effectively market my start-up company’s services. So far its slow going, by now that my business partner and I have graduated from Cornell and completed our degrees we will have much more time to invest into growing the business. We are hopeful that our persistence and willingness to learn from individuals such as yourself will pay off in the end.
Thanks again,
Matt
No problem. Best of luck with your ventures.
Neil, what a great story! I don’t read many blogs since they don’t relate to what I do but your blog I always read. Why? It most always has a helpful tidbit (sometimes blockbuster) of information that I can use to improve my site, my outlook or strategy and in general gives me a lift.
Thanks,
Gene:)
Thanks for reading Quick Sprout!
Love this. Inspiring. I’m in the process of starting a business myself. I’ll writng about my experience soon.
Let me know when you do. I would love to read it.
Neil,
I have some website ideas but its hard for me to decide how much money i can spend on designing of the site?
For example, for a site like this (quick sprout), how much we can spend for logo design & complete website design?
Not much. I use services like logoworks.com and 99designs.com to reduce my costs.
Every designer or developer takes different per hour or per project.SO somebody can want for the logo $500 and another $300.
I know.
But that’s the whole problem, its difficult to choose in that case.
If we simply think that, higher cost people will give better results, then we have to choose costly guy
but we can’t simply believe in that statement.
You can publish your project in 99designs,you can give your price and they will make examples of logos.
Great minds think alike.
You can also try to look for a designer over seas.
If you use crowd sourcing you can get things done cheaper. The quality may not be there, but you will save money.
Neil,
Thats really great that you have worked hard to achieve and become an entrepreneur in such a small age.. me too decided to do small business in the internet.. but only thing I blog a lot like anything…
Hope to hearing from you soon.
Charu
I will be posting a blog post soon.
Hey Neil,
How did you learn about Internet marketing? Through courses, classes, books or a internet marketing teaching company?
Just by doing it on my own site. I also read a lot of Internet marketing related sites like http://www.searchenginewatch.com.
Reminds me of my young clients/retailers who are just out of school/college and sell through innovation. I’ll make a case study and post it on my blog
Cool. Thanks for also linking to your blog… I will check it out.
Very inspiring story. Thank you very much for sharing it, especially the part about the ‘fairness’ of life. A lot of people are stopped by that. This idea should be taught in every single primary school!
I read on a blog (Zoe Westhof’s Essential prose) this quote: “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” You showed us how to do exactly that
Thank you!
Thanks Jean! In order to be successful in anything, you absolutely need to be a hard worker and someone who doesn’t take no for an answer.
Wow, Great story!
It’s nice to read refreshing content… Haven’t seen too much youthful avant garde material that is as sharp as your story & activities.
Your story’s a lot like mine on my way to Wall st a few years ago.
I’m ~2 months older than you & have gone through a lot of similar trials, the current econ situation not being the least of them
.
Even though I’m kind of a techie & a pretty fast learner, I’ve just recently begun to exploit the potential of the web. I’ve been thinking about starting a Blog & you have a great model to serve as an example.
If you’re ever in NYC, shoot me an email. I’ll be following your blog.
Ciao,
Mike
That sounds great Mike, shoot me an email with your contact info and I’ll let yo know if I’m ever out there. Glad you enjoy my blog.
Inspiring to say the least. Thanks for telling me your stories I am on my path, and there’s nothing that will make me give up.
Good for you, it’s important to have that attitude.
Truly inspiring Story Neil. I am very much glad to say that you are the only Indian who has made name on Internet. I am looking forward to do something like you in coming days if i can get your support would be awesome. I earn TON of money online but i don’t know how to present things online. Just a request if you can do something in order to support me.
Thanks, but there are plenty of Indians who are successful on the internet. All it takes is hard work and persistence.
Very interesting and inspiring story.. its hard to believe that you have gone through so much at such an early stage in life… very impressive! wish you good luck for life ahead
Thanks, its possible for anyone, you just need to work hard and passion
.
Good thing that business spirit person, that’s a plus to you. Your life story can encourage more people and can lead them to a bright way.
Good Luck…
Great story that give hope and inspiration. You’re right about life. Keep moving forward and don’t quit. I’ll be following your blog. Thanks!
go gujju bhai!
so now u gujratis are sexy too??
(since ya’l were millionaires and single already)
hehe
Neal, I am so happy that you are one of the few transparent people who still exist. My experience is similar to yours. Alot of ideas, hard work but little to show for it. I have spent alot of money chasing after my great ideas with little return. When you said marketers stole your money and not deliver, in my case programmers stole my software and locked it. I kept retolling and pushing forward. Teaching myself and learning to get help.
I enjoyed your inspiration.
Hi Neil – Excellent story of success and determination. You have quite a following.
Like you, I am young, driven by a fierce fire but a little short on resources for marketing our new bike company online (metabike.com)
With your specialty knowledge, do you have any advice on where to tap into to increase sales / interest?
Stay healthy Neil!
-T
Hey neil, your sucess story is really amazing, and its quiet encouraging to get it from you and your blog really rocks, keep it going!
the thing you had said about indians is too bad.. Being an indian u shouldn’t say like that.. Indians aren’t cheap they look for there future.. They save money for there children’s..
yes, Dear Indians are not cheap you should not write these words. Indians left their country to earn money. Otherwise you are insipiration for us . I bookmarked this page…
Sonia,
I don’t think Neil meant it a a rude way..it was a funny touch to an inspiring story..I’m Guju, Indian, Patel,Desi..whatever You want to call it…and Its true we are cheap..but thats not a negative thing..and when someone says we are cheap we shouldn’t become defensive either..I take it has a compliement..maybe if they rest of the country was Cheap like most of us Indians..their homes wouldn’t be in foreclosure or having financial diffculties (not all but most people) ..etc..we have our lifestyle, where we consider the future for ourselves and our loved one…My non-indian friends..think I’m the cheapest of all..and I tell them its in my blood…It’s compliment not a insult..because of people admire how successful Indian are, we should embrace our ways with a smile and laughter..because I do…
Great Story Neil..
Hi Neil,
You are an inspiration to every Indian wanna be online businessman Keep up the good work mate.
Thanks,
Dav
Thanks Dav,
comments like these mean a lot to me, and keep me moving forward.
Truly inspirational! Good on you for making it at such a young age – I’d really like to be as successful as you (as I am currently 22), but in different areas. I recently setup a “proper” blog at http://blog.siosism.com but am still learning a lot about what it takes to make one successful. For now, I’m using it as a PERSONAL blog to cover my favorite topics such as web design, animation, blogging, games, personal development, and productivity. Although I know this is quite wide in range, I’m using the blog to capture all my findings and, hopefully, help others learn from my discoveries and failures.
If you have any tips on how to curtail my wide range of topics, or maybe even successfully market them all as one, that would be greatly appreciated. If not, I understand since you must be a very busy man – I am just so thrilled to have come across a young, successful entrepreneur such as yourself!
Good luck in the future and may your spirit prosper!
PS. Do you have a Facebook account?
Yeah, search “neil patel” on facebook and go ahead and add me, I’ll accept your request.
Hey Neil! Thanks for the reply. I looked you up previously but, unfortunately (or fortunately?), there’s more than one Neil Patel! I think I’d need the email address you use on Facebook to properly find you. If not, you could just add me: “George Siosi Samuels.” Or just join my fan page (yay) @ http://facebook.dj/siosism, and I’ll be able to find you a lot easier. Thanks again Neil. I continue to boast many good things about you, and look forward to communicating with you more!
Dear Neil,
Your story is inspiring and what you write about indians are not totally true,we can puchase the things which are most essentials.
Beacause of this tendency we are not too much hurt by global meltdown.
Global meltdown, or globalmelt-up, just focus on what you’re passionate about and stick to it. Persistence is what will allow you to move forward.
How. Such an amazing story, Neil. I feel bad that I wasn’t able to do so much when I was young. Heck, I didn’t even know what the internet was until I was 17, I’m 29 now. I was dirt poor as a kid. I’m talking NO electricity, NO running water, and NO food at times. Yes, in America. I was also homeless in my last year of high school. I used to want to be an animator or movie director, but I graduated with a degree in Graphic Design. Now I’m interested in web development (and hopefully iPhone app development). I’m still a novice, but reading stuff like your story is really helpful. I just feel like I’m starting “late”. Thanks for all the info, Neil!
There is no better time than now
Great story glad to see that other people to go through the same struggles however you persevered and proved that hard works pays off long-term.
I’m just one of the thousands of examples out there, hopefully it inspires you to take action.
Hi Niel, I love how you refer to successful carriers as rock stars, its kinda motivating. Reminds me of that Intel commercial where the programmer walks in and they all treat him like a rock star for a change.
Yeah, that was funny. The guy in the commercial wasn’t the real guy, he was an actor. They used an actor who was a really big “Fob”
Hi Neil
Great spirit and every one of us in this world go through some of the experiences similar to yours at some time of life. Life is always forward journey and such a journey against strong winds is always challenging.
I have been traveling my journey against many strong winds falling, rising and moving forward always.I have started a social networking website and i need all the smart minds and creative minds to give comments and feedback of how i can make it more interesting and creative in terms of colors, theme, UI and most importantly the content.
I have already received your feedback and i wonder how i can start seeding my own content interestingly.
Once again good luck Neil and wish you achieve your $100 Mil soon.
Use other social networking sites to get your word out. And most importantly, network like crazy! If your not making solid and powerful connections, don’t expect to get anywhere.
What a great story (so far)! You had me smiling while reading the whole thing. You are inspirational. I appreciate your candor. Just hearing you casually mention you lost a million dollars in an investment and lived to succeed makes me feel better about my investments over the past year(s). I’m putting all my crazy eggs in my own ventures now, so maybe I’ll end up following your path (one can hope)! Keep up the good work, and thanks again for an excellent post.
Certainly Rich! Losing money is part of the process and nothing one should take so seriously they prevent themselves from growing even bigger. Just remember to focus on what’s important and think big.
You’re an inspiration! I look forward to reading many more of your blogs. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences.
I’m glad you like it Liz. Make sure you subscribe via email and get the posts sent directly to your inbox.
Hi Neil!
Oh yes I just signed up for your posts to be emailed to my inbox. I had created one over a month ago but after reading your blog about Twitter, I’ve decided to “revamp” all my online profiles and split out my personal and professional usage. Thanks to your post on the Twitter topic, I’ve deleted my personal Twitter (which was getting really annoying and I’m glad it’s cancelled) and created a formal one. I’ve also closed out my personal daily blogger and replaced it with a more formal blog to post about my experiences and exposures to the web/graphic design and small business world, etc. (I hope that you don’t mind but I posted your website link to my blog!)
Reading your thoughts and experiences is already helping me gain knowledge on what it’s like to be an entrepreneur and I greatly respect all that you’ve accomplished! Good luck with many more successes to come to you =)
I look forward to speaking to you more and reading all of your thoughts to come.
Happy blogging!
I hope you can grab as much info from me as possible and quickly and adequately apply it within yours.
Oh how embarrassing! Need to correct something.
“I had created one over a month ago but after reading your blog about Twitter, I’ve decided to “revamp†all my online profiles and split out my personal and professional usage.”
I was referring to creating a blog in the beginning of my sentence. =)
I figured that’s what you meant
Neil, I am very impressed with your posts. It is funny, you think of your life growing up in the OC and the challeneges and experiences that brings. I was very impressed with your story. If you are still in the area I think you would be great person to network with. I have some similar stories, successes and struggles. Both of my brothers were sprots stars and attended Los Al HS. I attended Mayfair HS in Lakewood. My brother was a football star running back. My dad wanted him to attended Kennedy HS. The football coach said, “I do not need a running back…” and told my dad “I think Los Al was a better situation for your son.” So he attended Los Al and was the county leader in rushing and td’s. He had 5 td’s against Servite HS in game two at Los Al. The Kennedy Football coach was featured in the OC Register the day after the Servite game as the worst blunder in HS Football in a decade. ” I did not know who the kid was or I would have definitely kept him at Kennedy” Once my brother signed to play at Colorado with Kordell Stewart, He did thank Kennedy HS for making it all happen! I think my brother sent the Kennedy football coach him a gold watch after he got back from the National Championship game in Miami.(lol) He was bashed constantly in the OC Register over the years.(lol) Anyway I recently did the marketing campaign and worked with SEO for OC Smile/ OC Dental Centers. I am a former AF Military Officer in Spcl Ops. and Space Systems Mgmt. I am a corp executive with a major fortune 500 company. I also worked as an IB at Merill Lynch worked with guy founded of blue tooth. One of the original investors. Krispy Kereme (IPO)and Wozniack and the guys at Mobius Venture Capital in Colorado during the dot com era. I am just making six figs and living comfortable. I am always looking for humanitarian efforts or charitable causes for the sick, or those in poverty looking for just a helping hand or advice.
Wow Vin, that was quite an impressive story, especially since you mentioned my school several times. Congratulations on your success so far. We should definitely meet up some time, but I’m currently in Seattle. Just shoot me in email in the near future and I’ll keep you posted.
I hate you!
just kidding!! I mean dude how can you think about life and future at such a young age 
.. seriously!!! I wish i started thinkin early on!! uff for enjoyin childhood 
anyway just came across your name few days back.. will def. start readin your blogs… cuz i wanna be filthy rich.. actually no just rich.. actually u know, for now, i just wanna be able to pay my bills :’(…
cheers!!
lol. It was just one of those things I’ve always had an interest in. I was passionate, and then I transformed my passion into profits.
Neil , as every one in cloud i am greatly impresseed . It was kind of late that i came to know about you but i am glad i did. Your postings are awesome. Whats unique about your posts is they combined both technology and business wisdom and are very potent mixures. I love your 53 advises and worth every bit following. Your posts are helping me a tons in designing my web start up from ground up. Keep it up. Wish you the best.
Cheers..
Thank you! I make sure that everything I write can easily relate to my audience. Make sure you subscribe for future updates.
Hi, Neil Patel, I’ve been reading your blogs?… I am completely new to blogs “stuff”, I call computers= “confusers!” Very incredible biography, life, success and failures accepted and moving right along. I’m a retired Registered Nurse, and have been thinking about developing my business first, Dove’s Delights, I’ll be looking into it in the city/county that I live in.. I’m planning on starting my business for Feb 23rd, 2010, an easy date to remember!! So, I’ve got a few months to get it done in time!!! Surprise! I’m 52 years young! Garden thousands of Spring Bulbs here in Colorado, just am finishing up planting about 700-800 flowers, Spring Bulbs, Tulips, Daffodils, Alliums, and Hyacinths. Still got 80 Crocus to go and Siberian Irises to plant.. then water lots! Getting ready for a Great Photo Oportunitie next Spring!! I also take Photos of plants and flowers in the yard!! One of my business Ideas for Dove’s Delights! You are a terrific inspiration to me! Look forward to comments via email, I don’t yet have a website that I know of, am on Facebook as Dove Degtiareff.. Hope to hear from you soon, Sincerely, Debi Degtiareff
That’s fantastic Debi! Make sure you connect with me on twitter and facebook. If you ever need any advice, go ahead and post your questions on the comments… I always reply.
I loved this post. Reading it helped me to focus on my venture even more. What I took from your story was that no matter what the challenge was, You approached it without fear. And by giving 100% to the task at hand win or lose it prepared you for the future. I have a cartoon series that i have been developing for the past 2 years. I funded the entire project and now that I’m ready to look for distribution, I’m getting cold feet. What advice would you give to someone that is “scared to pull the trigger”. How do you prepare yourself mentally to succeed?
Getting cold feet is normal, in fact most people get that feeling before they take action. Have the mindset of “failure is not an option”. Your journey has just begun, so be prepared for ups and downs, but most importantly, be prepared. By that I mean, calculate what can happen regardless of it’s possibilities.
Thanks! The funny thing is that while developing the series that was my mindset (”failure is not an option”) and it pulled me through some tough times. Honestly my problem is the pitch. It’s not my strong point. I’m one of those “the project speaks for itself” kind of guys, but I realize that I have to work at pitching my project and ideas. I know that practice makes perfect so I have to practice. I really stumbled upon your site. I honestly have never heard of you before and I read alot of business articles and research constantly. I’ve told many of my friends about your blog already. Keep up the good work and keep inspiring peeps like me.
Well I’m glad you were able to find it. Pitching your product requires persuasive communication, take a look into that.
Hi,
I’ve an internet business idea that I want to implement. But as just a business consultant straight out of college, I don’t know where to begin as far as finding resources, people to collaborate with, and approaches to brining supply and demand for my idea. Do you have any resources that can help me think through the process of making an idea into reality online?
Thanks,
Ed Lee
Look for bloggers in that particular niche and talk about it with them.
You inspired me with your quote about Life is Unfair! I could say, I’m in the wrong path studying the field of Electronics, but when this job that I’m taking now as SEO Specialist, it opens door to a new direction.
Life isn’t really unfair.
Cheers! More success to you!
Haha, Glad I can help
Hi Neil, great story. You truly embody what the entrepreneurial spirit is all about. I really like that you are using your experience to help others. Your story needs to told to a wider audience(When is the book comming out?). Continued success.
It’s in the works, Quicksprout readers will the first to know…
Neil,
How much of your success would you attribute to your speech at Cypress? Would you say that was your eye opener?
If you had not landed that gig, where do you think you would be today?
Congrats again on your continued success…
That was one of my starting points which changes my perception on everything. I do believe that if I didn’t start there, I probably would have been inspired elsewhere though.
hi friend,
iam very much impressed by reading your path to success. great neil, here iam working for the company but iam really not interested. i dont want to be kite but i want to be a bird. your path gives me hope in me. still iam exploring hard to start a new venture…
great wishes for ur success.
c.velu
I like that analogy, don’t want to be a kite, want to be bird. Well, it’s okay to be a kite for the time being. After work, thats when you can focus on being that bird of yours.
Neil,
Very Inspiring indeed. I am about to get started on developing my software product and looks like your blog will help me a lot in learning about new and related things.
Keep the good work going.
Hi Neil,
Your story impressed me a lot, because I feel like we have some of that entrepreneurship in common. I also have several failed and some successful attempts at making money as a youngster so far, and now I’m running my new site with the certain hope that I’m finally gonna make it.
You are a role model for me.
Keep it up man, your story was awesome, it has to continue that way!
Thumbs up and respect,
Zoli
Great to hear Zoli, I wish you success with your new site. Focus on what you did right, and amplify it!
Unbelievable I just realized how old you are!This fact is truly inspiring for me.
Great that you find it inspiring. Remember, age has nothing to do with your success. Anyone can do it.
Yes if one possess strong determination!I failed with four .com businesses by now but I am still 27 so I hope to achieve your success.
Age is nothing but a number. It doesn’t matter how old you are, success can happen whenever. Some of the richest people in the world don’t reach their success till their late 50’s or 60’s.
Your story impressed me too Congratulations on your success ! I guess you are Indian origin by your surname Patel, but I really feel bad as you mentioned “Indians are cheap” These lines will heart every Indian like me, can you please remove those lines, I can understand you may got some experience about Indian but for that you cant blame all Indian
Well it’s not a bad thing
Being froogle is great! Especially in economic times like these.
Hi Neil,
Your childhood was full of struggle. What a coincident, my childhood is little like yours. Now, you’re successful, but I am still struggling.
–Himanshu PATEL
It’s not that my life is full of struggle right now, it still is. I’m following a new venture, http://kissmetrics.com, and it’s not easy. Everyone struggles here and there, just push through it and focus on your goals.
I failed several times too, but its not the number of times you failed that’s important, it’s the number of times you keep moving forward. Edison failed 9,999 times.
Very inspiring story. One interesting point is if you are always being frugal on every little aspect of your life like buying the cheaper ketchup or finding the 5 dollar cheaper graphics card from another company, one day when you lose 1 million dollar from an unsuccessful investment, none of those tiny bits of money that you saved would not matter at all:) That was just a little thought from me. By the way in this part of the text “A New Life
My sister was still working for the Oracle consultant and she kept telling me how he was making a lot of money.”, “he” should be “she” I guess:)
Good for her! Oracle is a fantastic place. Being froogle is important because too many rich people end up going broke because of too many small or big expenses.
Hi Neil. Very inspiring story. I am glad I came across this blog and your profile. I had just one small question for you. I can understand that how business is in your blood!! (
) but I just want to know who are those people who inspired you the most to get really succeed in to the life? You had very bad time in the business at some point of your life when you failed, So who were all those people who still made you going by deeply inspiring you?
I dont mean the people who gave you support during those times (like your sister or parents, because they always do inspire us, thats pretty obvious), I mean the real successful people, just like Edison ( whose example you gave you before). If you can name such other few people ( who are not so well known like Edison) then we can also get inspired by them.
If there is no any exact answer of this question with you then thats ok. But if you have got some interesting answer then I will be ( and I am sure all will be ) glad to hear it.
Best of Luck for all your future ventures…
Viraj
The people who inspired me? Warren Buffet was an icon of mine? I love reading about people who become something from nothing.
Hello Neil, I also grew up with struggle, I recently turned 21 and I am an aspiring entrepreneur. It’s really important to have a mentor, did you have a mentor while developing and launching all or most of your businesses?
I am looking to also try and market my own websites, are there any top books you’d recommend on internet marketing?
p.s There’s nothing wrong with being frugal, I have saved LOTS of money from it!
Being frugal is great! People who spend their money too lavishly will have it affect them later on in life. BUILD WEALTH.
Very inspiring story. Congratulations and wish you best success ahead.
Hi Neil,
Just curious to take your opinion!
I have been following your blog for some time and am an aspiring entrepreneur as well!
I recently co-founded a first co-working community in the MENA region, Elegua (eleguasurf.com). Noone ever heard of such a thing in this region thus the infamiliarity created difficulties of gaining clients.. Learning curve for this society is steep and we are slow to get traction..
What would you do if you were in my place to somehow get to the tipping point?
The tipping point requires persistence. You are on the right track, but you must remember that during the good times and the bad, you need to push forward.
I want to start my website . Is it still free on google i don’t know. I want my independent website as i have lot to say .I like to write.I want to make people aware on lots of topics.I do want to communicate and get response from people around the world.
You are expert in this matter, would you be kind enough to write me an email to sufggest how to do this . Thanking you in anticipation.
Daksha
Go to hostgator.com or a hosting company of your choice and sign up for their service. They’ll be able to guide through the steps to start something up right away.
i want to earn money on internet can please guide me
Create a blog and provide information from your personal perspective. Give to the world something you think others can’t offer…. start with that.
Neil,
I am setting up a new blog using the Thesis Theme and saw your site. Then when I started reading it I was pretty amazed. I am a member of StomperNet and David Bullock who is on the faculty there really promotes Crazy Egg. So I signed up to track metrics on my Uncommon Games site. Crazy Egg rocks.
Looks like things are working out pretty well for you now. Congratulations.
BTW, if you haven’t read Malcom Gladwell’s books, you really should. Very insightful! Changed the way I think on a lot of stuff.
Thanks Cliff. Yeah, I’ve checked it out and I agree, it’s a fantastic read.
Hello Neil,
This year I started a study abroad immersion company in China for students, executives and anyone who wants to come here for a relaxing time. My google adwords campaign has been a failure and i am in the process of giving my campaign to someone who would like to adopt a pay per form type model. I sent the person a chart showing what stuff on the for