From Cubicle to Freedom

1. From Cubicle to Freedom. How I build a life on my own terms

Chapter 1. The power of a positive mindset

Have you ever felt like there’s a bigger purpose to your life? A reason why you’re here on this planet? I’ve been pondering this question for as long as I can remember, and it’s something that crosses my mind every day. We live in a world full of debates, where people argue about everything from the shape of the earth to the best way to live our lives. But one thing we all have in common is the desire to be happy and independent.

Chapter 2. The art of living your dream

It’s hard to put into words the feeling of being on your first backpack trip. It’s a mix of excitement, wonder, and the thrill of the unknown. I was able to fully immerse myself in the experience without the burden of financial stress. Quitting my job was a risk, but it paid off in a way that I couldn’t have imagined. Of course, there was a catch. I couldn’t live off of that backpacking trip forever.

Chapter 3. Learning from Failure, the key to success

During our journey as entrepreneurs, my friend Ralph and I learned a lot about taking risks and making things happen. Despite not having all the necessary skills at the beginning, we were determined to succeed with our platform, Rentsy. We knew that there was a problem that we could solve, and we had a good understanding of our target audience. However, our platform didn’t grow as much as we had hoped.

Chapter 4. Hustling and grind, Building a life on your own terms

During those times of uncertainty, I had to be resourceful and creative. I couldn’t rely on a steady paycheck and income from tenants, so I had to find other ways to make money. I remember doing odd jobs here and there, like illegal taxi driving at night and being an Airbnb host and guide, just to make ends meet. Becoming an Airbnb host was one of the best decisions we ever made.

Chapter 5. The Company you keep, How to choose the right friends and partners

I believe that friendships are an essential part of our lives, but it is true that not all of them are meant to last forever. As I have grown and changed over the years, I have realized that I have taken different paths and developed different values, leading to a natural drift in my relationships. When I look back, it can be difficult to name five close friends who have remained close throughout the years.

Chapter 6. The Network effect

Networking is a critical aspect of achieving success in both personal and professional life. Imagine walking into a room filled with 50 strangers who have no common interests or connections. In such a situation, people may approach you and ask about your story, but without any shared interests, the conversation may not go very far. The real value of networking lies in meeting new people who share your interests or who can help you achieve your goals.

Chapter 7. Slow and steady wins the race, embracing the journey

In my experience, it’s common for people to use others’ lives as a benchmark for their own success. They may compare their own age and accomplishments to those of others, leading to feelings of inadequacy or a lack of direction. However, I believe that every person is unique and has their own individual path in life, with their own set of talents and opportunities. Some individuals are born with a natural talent for singing or playing an instrument, while others may excel in sports and have the opportunity to pursue a career as a professional athlete.

Chapter 8. Overcoming insecurities, Finding confidence and success

Insecurities are a common experience for many people, and they often stem from experiences that have left emotional scars. For example, if you have been in a relationship with someone who hurt you deeply, it is natural to carry those wounds with you into your next relationship. Similarly, if you have been bullied or discriminated against, it can affect your self-esteem and make you feel insecure in social situations. There is no one specific cause for insecurity, as many factors can contribute to it.

From impulsive to intentional, Making better decisions

I have always been an impulsive person, never making concrete plans, but it has made me the person I am today. Like most people, I have fired off an email, said something I didn’t want to, or even booked a flight and left the next day on a whim. I think we are all victims of impulsiveness, it’s just how our brains work. When you try to think about what to say next, you’ll be surprised that there’s no clear answer.

Happiness is a choice, Creating your own joyful life

I believe that pockets are meant to put things in, and wallets and bank accounts are meant to be filled with digits and paper bills. In my case, my pocket is not empty or filled, but it’s enough to live from. I don’t need too much to live from, and I consider myself a simple human being who lives pretty minimalistic. In the past, I have lived in countries with just a backpack that contains all the essentials.

Chapter 3. Learning from Failure, the key to success

During our journey as entrepreneurs, my friend Ralph and I learned a lot about taking risks and making things happen. Despite not having all the necessary skills at the beginning, we were determined to succeed with our platform, Rentsy. We knew that there was a problem that we could solve, and we had a good understanding of our target audience. However, our platform didn’t grow as much as we had hoped.

We analyzed our business strategy and realized that we were missing some key elements, such as marketing and sales tactics. We also learned that entrepreneurship requires more than just having a good idea and creating a platform. Furthermore, we needed to constantly adapt and evolve our strategy to keep up with market demands and changes.

Despite the challenges we faced, we didn’t give up on our dream of becoming successful entrepreneurs. We sought out advice from mentors and industry experts, and worked tirelessly to improve our platform and business strategy. Our persistence paid off, and eventually, Rentsy started gaining traction and attracting more users.

Through our journey, we learned that entrepreneurship is not just about taking risks and making things happen, but also about being willing to learn from failures and adapt to changes. We also learned the importance of collaboration and seeking out guidance from experienced mentors.

When my friend Ralph and I started our entrepreneurial venture, we were confident that we were solving a problem in society. Our platform, Rentsy, allowed people to rent out their stuff to others, creating an alternative to traditional ownership and helping to reduce waste. We were convinced that we could make a difference, and we worked hard to create a user-friendly website with many features that would attract a wide audience.

Ralph and I were the founders of the company. We started it together while I was still working full time at my former job, and it was quite the journey. Despite not having any entrepreneurial skills, we learned day by day to think and act like entrepreneurs, taking risks and making things happen. Our platform Rentsy, allowed people to rent out their belongings and featured many other innovative services. Although we were confident that we were fixing a real problem and understood our audience well, we struggled to gain traction. While there was a similar platform called Peerby that had raised funding and gone international, our platform received only a few bookings.

Nonetheless, we were overjoyed when we received our first bookings and felt like happy kids in a candy shop. One memorable rental was my own GoPro camera, which I almost never used. I asked for 10 euros per day and the renter ended up renting it for 5 days, earning me an extra 50 euros. We truly believed that we were helping people by providing them with what they needed and receiving something in return, and we thought that this would be the future. However, we soon realized that the demand for our platform was greater than the supply, so we needed to grow our offer.

To do this, we attended meetings organized by sharing economy initiatives and presented our platform, which led to an increase in registrations. Our business model was similar to that of Airbnb, taking a commission from every request made through the website. However, we faced a major obstacle when it came to insurance. If something was broken while someone was renting a belonging, we would be responsible for it, but we couldn’t find a real insurance option that fit our sharing economy model.

We contacted banks and insurance companies but were unsuccessful. We were inspired by our experiences renting belongings from locals while traveling through Vietnam, where they trusted us fully and were negotiable in every way, but unfortunately this level of trust wasn’t present in our own country. We were caught up in the idea of creating an ideal sharing economy, but we struggled to change people’s mindsets and behaviors. Our downfall was that we were more focused on the idea of change than on solving an existing problem. Ultimately, we realized that changing people’s attitudes is a difficult task and requires a lot of time and effort." We learned a lot from these meetings and were inspired by the passion and dedication of the people we met. We also got some valuable feedback on our platform, which helped us to improve and grow.

Despite the challenges, we remained committed to our vision and continued to work hard to make it a reality. We knew that the road ahead would be difficult, but we were determined to overcome any obstacle in our way. We believed that the sharing economy had the potential to change the world, and we were excited to be a part of that change.

I remember feeling both excited and anxious as the number of registrations on our platform grew after my speech with the community. It was a sign that people believed in us, and it motivated us to work even harder to make our platform a success. As more and more people began to trust our platform, they started to upload their trailers, cameras, and other items that they were willing to rent out. Our business model was similar to that of Airbnb, where we would take a commission from every rental that was made through our website. However, our revenue was just enough to cover the hosting fees for our website, and we needed to find a way to increase our earnings.

One of the biggest obstacles we faced was insurance. We realized that if any of the renters’ belongings were to be damaged or broken, we would be held responsible. We tried to approach banks and insurance companies to work with us, but we found that they didn’t have a specific insurance policy that covered a sharing economy platform like ours. Designing a new insurance policy that would

cover our needs would cost us a significant amount of money, which we simply didn’t have. Nevertheless, we continued to search for alternative solutions and brainstormed new ideas that could help us overcome this hurdle.

During our travels in Vietnam, Ralph and I had the opportunity to rent belongings from local people who fully trusted us and were open to negotiation. However, when we brought our peer-to-peer rental platform to our own country, we were met with a different attitude. People who had more to spend were more cautious and possessive of their belongings, which was disheartening for us. We realized that people often care too much about their possessions, even if they were just trailers or bikes. While sentimental items passed down from family members might be understandable to cherish, we found it difficult to understand why people couldn’t extend the same trust to strangers who wanted to rent their belongings. In our pursuit of creating an ideal world, we failed to address an existing problem: the distrust that people have when it comes to sharing their belongings. We had hoped to change people’s mindset, but this proved to be our downfall. It’s like the age-old question of which came first, the chicken or the egg. Even today, scientists are still trying to unravel this mystery.

As entrepreneurs, we know that mistakes are inevitable, and the key to success is to learn from them. We realized that our rental business wasn’t generating enough revenue, so my partner Ralph and I decided to take a different approach. We rented out a spacious 5-room apartment with a shared kitchen and living room and decided to use the proceeds to fund our project and personal expenses. It was a risky move, but we had to take it.

We were fortunate to find an apartment that was ready to go, with only minimal decorating required. We wanted to create a comfortable and inviting space that would attract people. As luck would have it, I stumbled upon a second-hand pool table for a great price on a marketplace, which I saw as an opportunity to make our apartment stand out. The pool table became the centerpiece of the living room, and it was a huge hit with our guests.

After the overwhelming response to our apartment listing, my partner and I were on cloud nine. We couldn’t believe how quickly the inquiries poured in, and it was a great lesson in the power of social media. We knew that having professional photos was crucial to making a good first impression, and it paid off big time. The flood of messages made us wonder if we had priced the listing too low, but we were happy to see that people were genuinely interested in our place.

However, we quickly realized that we couldn’t respond to everyone right away. It was a humbling experience to see how companies must feel when they receive a high volume of inquiries every day. We wanted to make sure we gave each potential tenant a fair chance, but we also knew that we couldn’t please everyone.

In hindsight, we realized that we should have set expectations with our listing, such as availability and criteria for selection. It was a learning experience, but we were grateful for the opportunity to see how demand can quickly spiral out of control. We also empathized with companies who don’t always have the resources to respond to every inquiry.

All in all, it was an exciting time for us as entrepreneurs, and we felt a sense of accomplishment from our first successful venture.

The importance of first impressions cannot be overstated, whether it’s in business or personal life. It’s the initial encounter that sets the tone for the entire relationship. Making a good first impression is vital to building trust and establishing credibility. In business, it could mean the difference between closing a deal or losing a potential customer forever.

Back to the rental business, Freddy, the guy who showed interest in renting a room without physically seeing it, turned out to be a great tenant. He paid two months’ rent upfront and his mom vouched for him. It was a wise decision to take him on board. The other room was occupied by a local girl who also seemed nice and trustworthy. With the two rooms rented out, we were able to cover our rent and office costs.

Having the 2 rooms rented out was a major milestone for us. We were able to generate some income and had a place to work from. The attic served as both my room and office, and it was a cozy space where I could work without any distractions. It was a relief to have the burden of rent and office expenses taken care of. We could now focus on growing our business and achieving our goals.