In this video, the speaker recounts his 2020 decision to leave a stable compensation analyst role and launch a UX design business amid the COVID‑19 quarantine. He shares his first client call, the lack of prior UX experience, and the resources that helped him. The core of the video is a series of three practical lessons: (1) Learn by doing – acquire UX, sales, and video‑editing skills through self‑directed projects, build a personal brief, deadline, and public portfolio to attract opportunities; (2) Manage finances – the speaker discloses his 2022 revenue of $173,157 and detailed expenses (advertising, software, developer hires, rent), urging early adoption of accounting tools, rate optimization, and cost‑conscious hiring; (3) Find and follow mentors – he emphasizes the impact of YouTube channel “The Future,” LinkedIn connections, and broader mentorship networks on accelerating growth. Throughout, he positions himself as a fellow learner, not an expert, and encourages viewers to subscribe for more entrepreneurial content.
Chapters
In 2020, I decided to quit my comfy job as a compensation analyst and start a UX design business. I had my first call today from an interested lead during quarantine season. Now that is absolutely insane. I didn't have any clients, I didn't have any UX design experience, and I had no idea if this was going to work. But I had the internet at my fingertips, a curious mind, and a good friend. To help me along the way. And that's what I want to do for you in this video. I want this video to help you not make the same mistakes I made throughout my journey. And I want you to know that if you want to become a UX design entrepreneur, it's possible for you. So before you listen to some random guy on the internet, please be advised. I'm just sharing my lessons, my mistakes, and my story. I'm not an expert. I'm not a guru. I'm just a student sharing knowledge with my fellow students. Capiche? Let's go. All right. Lesson 1: Learn by doing. I often get asked how I learned UX design, how I learned sales, or even video editing, what I think about UX bootcamps or courses. And honestly, for me, I learned most by doing projects, not by simply watching tutorials, although I did that too. The primary goal, however, was first to get projects, ideally paid ones, and then learn everything later. But what if you don't have a portfolio, work to share, or a network of interested clients? Well, think about it. Everyone starts without a portfolio. You can create a project of your own, something you're excited about and treat it like a real project. Give yourself a brief, a deadline, a measure of success, and document your journey. Share it on Instagram, share it on Behance, Dribbble, your website, share it with friends, with strangers, and you'll be surprised what opportunities come your way. Lesson 2: Manage finances better. Okay, so as of January 6th, 2022, the UX design business generated a total of $173,157 in total revenue. Now, before you think that this is a brag, wait till you see my expenses. I had to spend about $5,700 in advertising, $11,400 in software services. Hiring app developers totaled $83,300. Rent and home office expense totaled $12,800. Now, I don't take sharing this type of information lightly. To be honest, part of me is quite embarrassed. I should have been more vigilant about where the business finances were going, but I share this information to help you learn from my mistakes. Get accounting software as early as you can. Know your numbers. Charge higher rates to client projects. Trust me, you're worth it. Remember that you're running a business, so take your accounting seriously. Also, if you're hiring other freelancers or app developers, shop around. Alright, so lesson 3: Find and follow mentors. They say that you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. I think in today's world it goes much further than that. If it wasn't for finding the YouTube channel The Future, it may have taken me 3 times as long to get to where I'm at. If it wasn't for connecting with strangers on LinkedIn, I would have never earned $17,000 in revenue through those connections. You can learn so much by building relationships with other entrepreneurs, agency owners, and freelancers. It's such a Such a no-brainer. I just don't know why I haven't done this sooner. And mentors can come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them may be younger than you, or some may never know you directly. But since you follow them and consume their content, you learn valuable lessons anyway. So if you made it to the end of this video, you're probably interested in this type of content, and I'm just getting started. So you probably want to join the club. Hit that subscribe button and hit that notification bell. You won't regret it.
