Tag Archives: life design articles

Work a Little and Play a lot: Lifestyle Freedom through App Development

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Many people are equating today’s popularity of mobile apps to the US gold rush of 1849. This hype suggests that you can create a mobile app, publish it to the various app stores and quickly become a millionaire.

Lifestyle Freedom

Is it true? Think about it, there are 1.2 million apps in the Apple App Store in mid 2014. Do you think all of the people publishing apps are millionaires? Nope.  According to Laura Tallardy (statistics provided by Owen Goss), here are the statistics:

  • The bottom 25 percent have made less than $200
  • The next 25 percent have made between $200 and $3,000
  • The 50-75 quarter are between $3,000 and $30,000
  • The top 10 percent have made $400,000
  • The top 4 percent are MILLIONAIRES!

So the real question is “Can I build an app company that does well enough that I can design my own lifestyle, work when I am inspired and play a lot?“.  To do that, you need to get yourself into the top 25%. Is that easy? I’m not sure but I do know that many app developers simply develop an app, put it in the app store, do no marketing and expect it to reach the top 10%. And as you might predict, they land in the bottom 25%.

2HourAppreneur Experiment

All of this brings us to an experiment called the “2HourAppreneur experiment“. I am developing an app (and possibly multiple apps if it looks promising) to determine if a person can build an app business that allows them to live a cool and fulfilling lifestyle. A lifestyle that affords you the opportunity to work on your own timetable, play a lot and revel in your entrepreneurial spirit.

Why am I qualified to try it? I’m an entrepreneur that started a software business in 1998 and sold it in 2009. Selling the business made me financially independent and allowed me to retire at 50 years old. I have enjoyed the retired lifestyle freedom. I’ve traveled a lot, adopted new hobbies, and pushed myself with new challenges. With my free time, I can try this experiment without financial pressures because building an app business is fairly inexpensive. If you want to learn more about me, you can take a look at my personal website and travel blogs.

Will it work? I am not sure but it will be fun to try. I will document my journey and tell you exactly what works and what doesn’t. This posting will be a living document that includes a list of helpful blogs explaining exactly what I am doing and why.  And if it doesn’t work, at least we will all know!

Here are some blogs I’ve created to document the process thus far:

How Can You Track the 2HourAppreneur Experiment?

If you find this experiment interesting, you have a couple of ways of keeping updated on the progress:

Email
If you don’t mind getting an email every few weeks subscribe to my 2HourAppreneur blog. You can do that by entering your email address below (you can unsubscribe at any time):

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Facebook
If you prefer not to get an email this often but would like to check in, LIKE my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/2hourappreneur.

Twitter
Or you can subscribe to my Twitter feed at https://twitter.com/2hourappreneur, my Twitter handle is @2HourAppreneur.

aMemoryJog
While you’re at it, take a look at the first app I am developing called aMemoryJog. It is an app for keeping track of all your passwords, loyalty reward numbers, and anything else that is easy to forget. Learn more at http://www.aMemoryJog.com.

Latest Updates

As mentioned above, I plan to continually update this blog posting as I publish new blogs related to app development, so you will see the list of blogs listed above grow over time. I will also let you know where I am in the process.

Update on 18-June-15
I am now working on my second app called Count Us Down. It lets you count down the days until a big life event (vacation, baby on the way, wedding, concert, sporting event, retirement, etc.).  It also allows you to share that event with your friends and family. Want to be part of the beta team? If you do, you will get early access to the app and you can provide feedback before it gets to the app store. Sign up here: http://www.CountUsDown.com

Update on 13-May-15
The aMemoryJog app has been in the app store for a few  months now and I’ve learned a great deal from this experiment. Click here to see what I’ve learned

Update on 17-Nov-14
I outsourced the development of the aMemoryJog app in early April 2014. It was expected to take about 4 months to complete but it has taken a lot longer than expected. The extra development time has been OK because it has given me more time to build my social media followers and prepare a marketing strategy. aMemoryJog should be in the Apple app store sometime in December 2014.

This Article Was Brought to You by 2HourAppreneur

This article was brought to you by 2HourAppreneur makers of the aMemoryJog Password Manager app. The app is free, why not try it now?

aMemoryJog: Best Password Manager

8 Keys to this Entrepreneur’s Happiness

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Are most entrepreneurs happy? I’m not sure, but of the ones I’ve met, most seem to be. I’ve always had a feeling of happiness, ever since childhood. It doesn’t mean that I don’t have down days, everyone does. But for the most part, I am really happy and I started to ponder why that is. In this post I will share with you a bit of my self-reflection.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” Mahatma Gandhi

8-Keys-To-Happiness

8 Keys to this Entrepreneur’s Happiness

After a bit of reflection, I’ve identified things that have created happiness for me:

  1. Exercise – As a kid, I spent lots of time outside: hunting, riding my bike, playing sports, and walking the farm where we lived. Once I graduated college, I started working out with weights and doing cardio every week. Now 30 years later, I continue to workout every week and intertwine lots of outside activities into my day (cycling, hiking, walking, golfing, etc.). Although I did not start working out to feel happy, it just happened. Exercising increases your self-esteem and it releases endorphin, the happy chemical.
  2. Relationships – I try to surround myself with like-minded and positive people. I have an incredible wife, great kids and friends that I try to do things with weekly. It may be just a chat or a golf outing, but it is important to build and maintain relationships.
  3. Being Nice – Being nice to others is rewarding. I like to greet people with a “hello” or “good morning” and strike up conversations with people I don’t know and I say “thank you” and “please”. I don’t try to monopolize conversations, I learn a lot about a person by just listening. And I love hearing about people’s successes, no matter how trivial or monumental.
  4. Money – As they say, money can’t buy you happiness but neither does poverty. I do think that a certain amount of money can aid in happiness– at least enough that satisfies your immediate needs (food, clothing, housing and health care). Past that, “wants” tend to disguise themselves as “needs”. I’ll admit that I could be much more frugal but I do get a rush of adrenalin when I under spend my budget for a month.
  5. Optimism – I am wired to think that everything is going to work out well and many times it does. When things don’t, I try to learn from it and use that knowledge in the future.
  6. Hobbies – Work hard but play harder. I’ve met lots of people who consume themselves with work and when they get a day off, they don’t really know what to do with their time. Having hobbies will make you happier. What are mine? I love to cycle, play golf, fish, travel, hike, swim, hang out at the beach, boat, watch college and pro football — just to name a few! I also set goals for my hobbies (like cycling 50 miles in 3 hours, hiking a strenuous mountain, and lowering my golf handicap).
  7. Being Grateful – I realize how lucky I’ve been. My parents sent me to college but they nor their parents or their grandparents had the opportunity to do it. I couldn’t have built and sold my software company without learning from some incredible mentors. I am lucky to have an incredibly supportive family and our kids have grown up to be something we are truly proud of. I survived cancer at just over 30 years old. I’ve been really blessed.
  8. Faith – I don’t consider myself a religious person but I do consider myself a spiritual person. I grew up in the church but don’t attend regularly. However, I have a close relationship with my maker and pray everyday. I’ve personally witnessed the power of faith.

This Article Was Brought to You by 2HourAppreneur

This article was brought to you by 2HourAppreneur makers of the aMemoryJog Password Manager app.

aMemoryJog: Best Password Manager

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Conclusion

Hopefully these 8 keys are helpful to my readers. I would also like to hear your stories and understand what makes you happy. Please leave a comment!

#ArticleOfTheDay: 6 Qualities That All Great Leaders Exhibit (by Lily Jenkins)

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Today’s article was written by Lily Jenkins, she nails the qualities of a great leader. A lot of people believe that leadership is a naturalized trait given at birth. I don’t really subscribe to that idea. Sure, some people innately have leadership skills and some are more extroverted than others. But leadership skills can certainly be learned — I’ve mentored many leaders during my time in the corporate world and it is very satisfying to see leadership skills take form and grow.

I don’t want to steal Lily’s thunder but my favorite quality she listed is “Great leaders pave the way for others to succeed“. Ready to read the entire article?  Alrighty, here it is: 6 Qualities That All Great Leaders Exhibit (by Lily Jenkins).

Leadership

 Article of the Day Brought to You by 2HourAppreneur

This article was brought to you by 2HourAppreneur, makers of the aMemoryJog Password Manager app. Each day, 2HourAppreneur publishes an article that we think is cool, thought provoking, motivational, or makes life more fun and a bit easier.

Sign up for these daily articles via email here.

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#AppOfTheDay: Shopping List Free (Grocery List)

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Today’s App of the Day is Shopping List Free (Grocery List) by Hensoft. I don’t know about you, but before going to the grocery store, I like to make a list and check off the list as I go. I used to do that with paper and pen but I find it easier to have it on my iPhone and check them off as I am shopping.

Once I started looking for a Shopping List app, I stumbled on to the Shopping List Free app. The app is free and it is very easy to use. Simply create a Shopping List, add items and as you are in the store, simply tap each item to check it off the list.

IMG_2599

Once you are done, you can clear the check boxes to reuse the list again later. It also remembers all of the items in the list and you can create a new list from an existing one by selecting them instead of having to type them all in again.

If you are interested in this app ,check it out here: http://bit.ly/1DqGQEo.  Enjoy!

App of the Day Brought to You by 2HourAppreneur

This article was brought to you by 2HourAppreneur, makers of the aMemoryJog Password Manager app. A few times a week, 2HourAppreneur publishes an article or app that we think is cool, thought provoking, motivational, or makes life more fun and a bit easier. Sign up for these articles via email here.

aMemoryJog: Best Password Manager

#ArticleOfTheDay: Yeah, My Life is Awesome! I’m a Rock Star. You Should Take Notes (by Lesley Carter)

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Today’s Article was written by Lesley Carter, a blogger that I have mad respect for. I have been following her blog for about a year now and reading about all of her travels to cool and unique destinations. Her blog is Bucket List Publications — at the beginning of each year she makes a list of bucket list items to check off by the end of the year. She normally completes her bucket list in the 4th quarter of each year.

Her latest blog was really inspiring. It unveiled raw emotions about her life, her struggles and how haters on the internet attempt to derail your happiness.

Without further ado, here is Lesley’s blog entitled “Yeah, My Life is Awesome! I’m a Rock Star. You Should Take Notes“: http://bit.ly/ZUbxF8

Lesley Carter

Lesley Carter

 

Article of the Day Brought to You by 2HourAppreneur

This article was brought to you by 2HourAppreneur, makers of the aMemoryJog Password Manager app. Each day, 2HourAppreneur publishes an article that we think is cool, thought provoking, motivational, or makes life more fun and a bit easier.

Sign up for these daily articles via email here.

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#ArticleOfTheDay: Richard Branson’s 10 Rules For Being A Great Leader

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Today’s Article was written by Sir Richard Branson, a entrepreneur that I’ve admired for many years because of his ability to think outside of the box and to build fun companies that employees and customers love. Richard’s leadership qualities are unparalleled and it’s interesting to hear him articulate his approach to leadership.

My favorite rules: Have Fun, Listen More and Talk Less, and Be Happy. Without further ado, here is Richard’s article: http://stumble.it/1oBUwvd, enjoy!

richard-branson-quotes

 

Article of the Day Brought to You by 2HourAppreneur

This article was brought to you by 2HourAppreneur, makers of the aMemoryJog Password Manager app. Each day, 2HourAppreneur publishes an article that we think is cool, thought provoking, motivational, or makes life more fun and a bit easier.

Sign up for these daily articles via email here.

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#ArticleOfTheDay: Stubborn Visionaries & Pigheaded Fools

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Today’s Article was written by Jason Cohen, the entrepreneur that originally started SmartBear Software (the company that I sold my last software company to). Jason has such a great way of boiling complex topics down to their bare simplicity and often leaves you with a decision to make.

Today’s article is one of those. It explains some of the mental gymnastics all of us Entrepreneurs go through as we are trying to judge whether our decisions will pay off in the future. Sometimes it’s a crap shoot and you just have to know when to hold them and when to fold them.

Without further ado, here is Jason’s article entitled “Stubborn Visionaries & Pigheaded Fools“: http://bit.ly/1xdemff.

pigheaded

Article of the Day Brought to You by 2HourAppreneur

This article was brought to you by 2HourAppreneur, makers of the aMemoryJog Password Manager app. Each day, 2HourAppreneur publishes an article that we think is cool, thought provoking, motivational, or makes life more fun and a bit easier.

Sign up for these daily articles via email here.

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#ArticleOfTheDay: How to Charge your Phone with a 9 Volt Battery

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I am always amazed by creative ways to solve life’s problems. In today’s Article of the Day, our #CrazyRussianHacker friend shows us how to charge our phone with a phone charger hooked up to a 9 volt battery.

I guess if you had your car charger with you, you would probably have the car as well and could use it but let’s just imagine you carry around your car charger and a 9 volt battery and your battery dies. Just hook it up to the 9 volt battery and charge away. Silly but cool.

Watch the YouTube video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akqcos28R-0&list=UUe_vXdMrHHseZ_esYUskSBw.

battery_charge

Article of the Day Brought to You by 2HourAppreneur

This article was brought to you by 2HourAppreneur, makers of the aMemoryJog Password Manager app. Each day, 2HourAppreneur publishes an article that we think is cool, thought provoking, motivational, or makes life more fun and a bit easier. Sign up for these daily inspirational emails here.

aMemoryJog: Best Password Manager