I started coding at 16. By 18, while still studying, I was working on a gaming platformβbuilding HTML/CSS forum integrations back in 2008. (And yes, I paused to use a calculator mid-wayβ¦ and somehow still got it right.) Alongside that, I worked on game stats APIs and a community rewards system. Within a year, we scaled to 40K usersβan impressive number at the time, especially coming from just a few games. Academically, things didnβt go as well. I wasnβt studying what I loved. I was pushed into Java, Embedded Java, and hardware-focused subjects that didnβt align with how I think or learn. I struggled with itβand honestly, I hated coding in that context. But when it came to real-world application, I thrived. At 24, I started my own company with just $100. We grew from 3 employees to 40. Then COVID hitβwe lost around $70K and had to shut down for a year and a half. We came back with just $2,000 and rebuilt everything, eventually reaching $500K in annual sales in corporate travel and scaling to 60 agents over three years. Then we were hit by a major cyber fraud incidentβ$400K in fake client transactions, 150 flight tickets disputed and lost. Even a $10K HQ we were about to move into became unsustainable. That forced another shutdown and downsizing to 6β7 people. That period lasted about a year and a half. As painful as it was, it shaped where I am today. It taught me resilience, awareness, and how deeply business challenges can affect mental, physical, and environmental well-being. Now Iβm 34, with 14+ brands Iβve created over time. Iβve always told myself that one day, Iβll bring all of them to lifeβeach in its own market. They donβt expire. Theyβre unique. And the plan is still very much alive. I don't think i would have ever looked for legacy but money sucks, always hated it, but the good thing out of it, when you are breaking the bank, you tend to find your exit. - so please stop turning the lights off. I'll be very happy if you introduce yourself here and share a pic of your workspace i'll personally support whom i can.