Hi, I’m Tim. Welcome to Ordinary Man Trying.

I’m an ordinary guy from China with a full-time job, a young son, and a stubborn habit of starting side projects that don’t always work out.

Here’s my track record so far:

  • I ran an English website about goji berries for 6 years. Wrote over 800 articles. Made almost no money. Let the domain expire.
  • I built a Wix store selling roll-up pianos. Invested ¥2,000. Sold 3 units. Then COVID happened.
  • I researched selling on Temu. Bought the course. Never started.
  • I built a Chinese side hustle blog with 1,500+ articles. Then shut it down because I felt guilty selling advice about making money when I hadn’t made any myself.

So why am I still trying?

Because I genuinely enjoy figuring things out. And now, for the first time, I have a tool that actually changes the game: AI.

With AI, I can write in natural English even though it’s not my first language. I can analyze stocks, generate content, research markets, and run experiments that would have taken me weeks — in hours.

This blog is my honest record of what happens next. The wins, the failures, the “why did I think that would work” moments.

I’m also doing this for my son. One day I want him to read this and understand that his father kept trying — not because success was guaranteed, but because trying is worth something on its own.

If you’re also an ordinary person figuring things out with AI, you’re in the right place.

— Tim