Duct-O: My First International Online Business
Table of contents
| Timeline: | 2006-2008 (Middle school) | |
| Languages Used: | HTML, CSS, PHP, SQL, JavaScript | |
| Role: | Craftsman, Web Developer, Salesman | |
| Reason: | To make money for toy dinosaurs |
How Duct Tape (and a book for Dummies) Launched My First Business
When I was 11, my Uncle Paul handed me a copy of HTML for Dummies. At the time, I was already deep into my other obsession: crafting wallets and accessories out of pure duct tape. (None of that duct-taped-cardboard nonsense—this was the real deal.)
I’d spent months perfecting my technique: layering tape, adding transparent ID pockets with clear tape, even figuring out how to add velcro and zippered pockets for that extra sense of security. Eventually, I could crank out a wallet in under two hours—assuming I didn’t mess up and have to start over. For an extra challenge, I started printing, laminating, and hand-cutting logos from the internet to stick on the front. (Let’s just say copyright law was not top of mind for 11-year-old me.)
One day in homeroom, a classmate spotted my custom wallet and asked if I could make him one. I said, “Sure, five bucks.” And just like that, I was in business.
The Most Fun (and Unexpected) Challenges
1. Scaling Up: From Paper Forms to PHP
Six months later, I’d sold about 20 wallets and a handful of cell phone cases. But keeping track of orders on paper was getting old. Inspired by that HTML for Dummies book, I taught myself HTML, CSS, PHP, SQL, and JavaScript—one late night at a time. My first site, monster-wallets.com, was just a custom order form. But soon, I wanted more.
2. Duct-O.com: The Full Storefront Experience
Enter duct-o.com: a fully fledged online storefront for all your duct tape accessory needs. It had:
- Featured product listings on the home page
- Sidebar with categories and popular products
- Store page and individual product listings (with specs and customer reviews!)
- Secure user login and registration (MySQL-powered, of course)
- An online custom order form that emailed me orders
- A forum for duct tape fans to chat and ask questions
- A “My Links” section for saving favorite links
- Product search bar and results page
- A help page with Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (painstakingly written by yours truly)
The only thing it didn’t have? Credit card processing. (Turns out, 12-year-olds can’t get merchant accounts.)
The Duct-O.com homepage, circa 2008. Yes, I designed every pixel myself.
3. My First International Order (and a Lesson in Burnout)
When my first international order came in—from Canada, no less—the customer mailed me a check. (Remember checks?) I was over the moon. But not every sale was a win. My last big project was a duct tape purse with a zipper for a teacher. It took three weeks, cost me more in materials than I earned, and left me totally burned out. That was the end of Duct-O—but the beginning of a lifelong love of building things online.
Side note: If you ever want to appreciate modern e-commerce platforms, try writing your own shopping cart and user auth system in PHP as a middle schooler. I dare you.
What I Learned (Besides How to Remove Duct Tape Residue)
- Start small, but dream big.
- Automate the boring stuff. (Thanks, PHP!)
- Feeling valued matters more than making money.
- Burnout is real—even when you’re 12.
I wish I could tell my younger self that avoiding burnout in the business world requires knowing your value. My mom tried to tell me I should charge more for my products, but I didn’t listen. Sorry for being stubborn, mom! Eventually I learned.
No 12 year olds were harmed (permanently) in the making of this website.