3 years ago I was homeless and $200k in debt

It’s been three years since I found myself homeless, insolvent and going through a divorce. I was $200k in debt with no backup plan and no support. I was at a crossroads: declare bankruptcy or work my ass off to get back on my feet. I chose the latter.

I knew the only way out was to start generating an income again. So, I started mowing lawns. Every morning, I would wake up at the crack of dawn to mow lawns in my area. When I wasn’t mowing, I was knocking on doors to get more customers. Within a few weeks, I had a full client list.

As I worked in the lawn care industry, I quickly realized how backward it was. Everything about it was as low-tech as you could imagine. Most business owners were still using a manual system with pen and paper to track their schedule. It turns out, non-tech people hate complex systems.

That’s when I had an idea. I set out to build an app for tracking my customers, mowing schedule, and invoices. I had never built an app in my life, so I had to learn the basics and code it up, all while working long days in the heat.

Very quickly the app generated more revenue than my mowing business. So, I once again, I returned to the tech industry. This time making money through apps. I’ve spent the last 3 years learning everything I could about building , designing and marketing apps.

Looking back, I have fond memories of that chapter of my life. After a career spent in front of a computer, it was refreshing to be outdoors in the fresh air. My customers were like friends, and I had a sense of achievement.

To this day, I still get messages from people asking me to mow their lawns. It’s a reminder of how far I’ve come and the resilience that got me there.

Adam Lyttle creates apps for fun and profit. With 8 successful business exits, and dozens of apps created, his mission is to continue building a profitable app portfolio in public. Follow @adamlyttleapps for insightful tips on growing an app business and portfolio