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50 interesting replies to an interesting question...
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I would just do things differently now if I had to
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How would starting from scratch tomorrow be any different than today?
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I don't think I could do it today... Things are much different now and the market has changed alot.
DH |
I always thought it would make an excellent contest to try this exactly. Have contestants start with nothing (no money, no equipment, etc.), not allowed to use any previous contacts, use a Pseudonym (if they reveal their real name, they are out), and document ALL aspects of their business venture to see who could really do it. I think it would definately end a hell of a lot of shit talking if nothing else.
The winner would be crowned "Business Guru" or some shit. This industry has changed so much so fast that there is no way that any "old schooler" could make it the way they did the first time. All success is due in great part by luck. The person who has won more times than they have lost just has not played the game long enough. "...what ever you do, don?t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either ? your choices are half chance, so are everybody else?s" - Baz Luhrmann |
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I don't put a lot of credence on the effect being here a long time makes it easier. This is the biggest moving market in the world, we keep members for a matter of weeks. These people are the ultimate judges. They start to not sign up or not stay the effect will be falling numbers for the affiliates who will soon realise the time has come to move on. The surfer does not know if you've been here 1 month or 10 years and I doubt if he really cares. He's jerking off and needs us to deliver him the goods. Yes those with a long track record will have more content available, more affiliates and better techniques. But if the site is not updated and worked on daily the surfer, in enough numbers, will see and move on. Then the affiliate will realise his ratios are sufferning and also move. Are we one of the top content producers because we've been here 3 years or because last week we released 8 great new sets that will convert? And will do the same this week and next. |
Your question could be taken different ways by different people, but I am going to take it as if I could make as much now if I started again.
the answer is no way. lots of reasons why, main ones are advertising methods. when I started I had no money, I knew nothing and I knew no one, I knew of no forums where you could go and get help, all my scripts I had to have custom made for me and so on. The advertising methods that were once there are no longer, Usenet, once a good source for traffic are now almost worthless, IRC, now just wannabe hackers, free sites who had great traffic and who ran their sites because they wanted to - gone or went pay. One great source of traffic, someone whose traffic helped allot of the old cam sites is a member of this board (5i's or 3i's, been a long time) He was awsome, had a great msg board. But for me, running a pay site, I could get it started again, but not to the level it is now. [QUOTE=shapIf you had to start everything from scratch today with little money and build from the ground up and without using your reputation or connections. [/QUOTE] |
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They think everything should be free, they should get all the help and make $10,000 in their first month. Shock and horror so did the other 10,000 starting this week who thought selling porn was easy. I had a discussion in another forum with a webmaster who thinks paying $10 for a set will cut into his profits. :Oh crap |
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So if I turned up here as a complete unknown and showed the content I shoot people would not buy iy for their sites because I was a newbie? IMHO These are the people that will not be in the business very long. The surfer is the ultimate judge for everything. Only buy because it turns the surfer on enough so they spend money. |
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what he said... |
Timing and luck is everything. My timing was right on by getting in back in 97.
Would I want to start from scratch in this biz right now? The answer is no. Here is why. I just took the same 60k that I could have used to start another site but instead I purchased a PeterBilt Truck (10 Wheeler) to haul dirt and dump it from point A to Point B. I pay my driver (A buddy of mine) 20.00/hour to operate it. The total cost to keep this vehicle in operation is about 32.00/hour. I charge 82.00/hour. My profit is around 50.00/hour and I don't do shit. That comes out to about 130k per year. My ROI is about 5.5 months. Ask yourself, how long does it take to break even on a site that cost you around 60k to develop? Pretty sure it is longer than 5.5 months if at all. Sure there is money to be made in this business and probably always will be but I know you can't start out with 200.00 like I did 8 years ago. Today if you want to do it right you need to actually have working capital regardless if you are going to do a paysite or just be a promoter of various sponsors. Today everything costs money and when I say everything, I mean traffic. There really is no such thing as "Free Traffic" as there was 8 years ago. I don't believe for one second, The Hun could go out and start from scratch and have the same results as he did with his current site. I don't think you or any of these other guys that have been around for years could either. Timing plays a big part in it and I'm just thankful that my timing was right on. |
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Also if its that good why not get another one ;) :thumbsup |
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It's been almost 10 years already...bloody hell. Too bad I took a 3 year vacation (working only 8 hours a day)...Now back to banging. The significant progression in technology has made things a lot easier. |
Luckily, I wasn't blessed with a trust fund or major financial connections, so I had to rely on my drive to learn, and have schooled myself in many different aspects to this industry. So, if I had to start all over, I'd probably have an advantage over those who didn't spend the past XX years learning, I do well for myself now, and if I had to start over with little or no money, it would be difficult, but not as difficult as it was trying to learn the difference between a nested variable and a variable variable. :) heh
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It is harder with every year that pass but it is doable.. :pimp |
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Yes I would start from scratch again. Its a different game plan than it was say in 1997 to 2000 but still can be very profitable. Takes alot of hard work and innovation to make it these days.
I would not give this job up for any other job out there. Working the rat race sucks the big one. |
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amen 8chars |
hey shap,
you know i did all this in september 2003 - cancelled my mainstream job, dumped my girlfriend, quit my apartment and moved where i live now with no clue about this business, no photography skills and not even an idea what a webmaster is. and you know what we are doing now. :winkwink: so the answer to this question is probably yes. :) |
I don't network a lot and I don't rely on anyone else for anything that is important.
So as long as I can keep my knowledge, yes, I could and would start from scratch today if I needed to. But I would probably have to take a different route to get to where I'm at today. |
Knowledge is everything. I made a lot of mistakes in the beginning, but I won't make them again. So I think starting from scratch is easy. The day I quit I thought WTF, and took the time to pass some knowledge to a noob (with allmost no money to invest). He made $1000 his first month. I think that ain't that bad.
BTW I still have one site for sale: http://www.gofuckyourself.com/showthread.php?t=461281 :winkwink: |
im with quiet
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real mother fucker. http://www.blackvaginafinder.com/webmasters.htm "You get sales credit for up to 255 days after the surfer clicks." nice man cheers :thumbsup |
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