The 6-Figure Dead-End Job That Forced Pat to Change Everything

While I am in the middle of the launch of The One-Person Empire Accelerator, what I know is that even solopreneurs need help.

When I launched TheSelfEmployed.com (which I later sold to Mark Cuban), I didn’t and couldn’t do it all alone; I had the help of my trusty tech sidekick Abby to do the stuff that I couldn’t do. Together we made a great team - and a great business.

If you are ready to launch or take your business to the next level and need a teammate, I encourage you to check out the Accelerator.

About a decade ago, Pat Walls was a software engineer in New York City, pulling down a six-figure salary.

But he was the saddest 6-figure guy in town. Every day felt hollow, and he was trapped - not by poverty, but by money. The salary was golden handcuffs. He was coding features nobody needed, solving problems he did not care about, watching the clock for 5 PM.

He worked. He made money. But he was creating no legacy. He was miserable.

The Spark

Then Pat read Cal Newport's "Deep Work," and something shifted.

He realized his problem was not money. His problem was that he was not building anything that mattered to him.

So he made a contract with himself. Tomorrow, he would go to a Starbucks at 6:00 a.m., 2 hours before work. He would order a coffee. He would set a timer for two uninterrupted hours of deep work, and he would build something of his own - before his day job even started.

But, not knowing anything about being an entrepreneur, he decided he needed to interview some. So he cold called and DM’d founders and solopreneurs, entrepreneurs and CEOs.

After a few months, he realized that THAT was the business he had been looking for.

October 2017. Pat registered “Starter Story” for twelve dollars; it was a platform where entrepreneurs could share transparent case studies about building businesses.

No BS. No hype. No hustle-porn. Just real numbers, real struggles, real lessons. And real successes.

He did this before work. Every single morning. for more than 365 days straight.

The Long Climb

Month six: Breakthrough. A Reddit post went viral.

And suddenly, hundreds of people signed up for his site and newsletter. Sponsors started calling. And yet, Year One only brought $1,700 per month from ads and affiliate links.

It was enough to feel real but nowhere near enough to quit. So he kept going - writing, interviewing, recording on weekends.

Slowly but surely, it grew. And grew. And grew!

And he quit, quit, quit that dumb job!

It took a few years of small, consistent actions to breakthrough, but breakthrough he did. Pat had the vision to start a YouTube channel and that was the real pivot that moved the needle. Revenue climbed to seven figures.

All from that side project built in a Starbucks before his day job even started.

The Audacious Moment

In June of 2025, Pat looked around, saw AI ascending, and realized that SEO was on the way out. He then looked at HubSpot and saw something they did not have: a YouTube strategy.

So he tweeted directly at HubSpot: “You should acquire Starter Story."

Eight months later, in February 2026, they did just that. And not for pocket change, no, but for what Pat called a "life-changing" deal.

The Takeaway

We have all been where Pat was - stuck someplace that didn’t fit anymore. But notice what he did. Instead of a dramatic quitting of the job, he got to work - Deep Work - creating something he believed in.

In fact, so important was that lesson that “Deep Work” is the hat Pat now usually wears on his YouTube channel.

Steal This Strategy

🛠️ Course – The One-Person Empire Accelerator. If it’s finally time to start or grow that business of yours, let’s go! Hands-on. Help me help you!

📖 Book: Deep Work by Cal Newport. The book that inspired Pat to make a contract with himself and change his life.

📖 Resource: Starter Story. Read 4,500+ real founder case studies with revenue numbers and business lessons.

About Steve

Steve Strauss is the best-selling author of The Small Business Bible (and 17 other books), Inc.’s small business columnist, a lawyer (non-practicing), and an entrepreneur. He sold his last venture, TheSelfEmployed.com to Mark Cuban & Zen Business. Need a newsletter for your business? Contact Steve!