As a child, I did what any normal kid who grew up without any

There are tales that speak not of kingdoms or conquest, but of the quiet triumph of the human spirit — of a mind kindled by curiosity, even when surrounded by darkness. Such is the story behind the words of Ryan Holmes, who said: “As a child, I did what any normal kid who grew up without any electricity would do — I spent countless hours working on a computer wired to my parents' car battery... and learned how to code. This natural passion for computers led me into the Internet market during the late 1990s and early 2000s.” In this humble confession lies the essence of invention itself — the power of will to overcome limitation, the spark of curiosity that lights even in the deepest night.

The meaning of this quote is both simple and profound. Holmes’s words reveal the truth that greatness does not grow in comfort but in challenge. Deprived of electricity, he found a way to bring light through ingenuity; denied the ease of tools, he forged his own. The computer, fragile and lifeless without power, became his companion — fueled not by convenience, but by his determination. In his boyhood experiment, there lies the eternal pattern of human progress: when the world offers no means, the soul invents them. For what is innovation but the refusal to accept impossibility?

The origin of this quote belongs to a time when Holmes, the future founder of Hootsuite, lived in the remote wilderness of Canada. In that quiet place, far from the thrum of the cities, there were no neon lights or humming servers — only vast skies, silence, and imagination. Yet it was there, in isolation, that he learned the language of the future: code. His story is the modern echo of the ancient inventor’s tale — the boy who saw in machinery the promise of a new world and in hardship the seed of opportunity. From the crude spark of a car battery, he forged the foundation of an empire built on digital connection.

History offers us parallels to such spirit. Consider the story of Benjamin Franklin, who, born into poverty, taught himself the mysteries of the natural world by candlelight. Or Nikola Tesla, who envisioned entire systems of electricity while walking alone through the fields of Europe, often penniless and misunderstood. Like them, Holmes reminds us that genius is not born in luxury — it thrives in those who dare to imagine more than what their circumstances permit. The car battery he used was not a symbol of limitation, but of freedom. It was a bridge between the possible and the impossible, a small vessel of power harnessed by an infinite will.

Yet Holmes’s reflection also speaks of destiny — of how a single act of curiosity can ripple outward to shape a life, and even a world. His tinkering with wires and screens did not end with childhood wonder; it became the foundation of a career that would transform the way millions communicate online. By following his natural passion, he entered the early dawn of the Internet era, when digital pioneers built the highways upon which today’s ideas travel. His journey is a testament to the truth that one spark, however small, can illuminate an entire generation if tended with patience and faith.

But beyond admiration, Holmes’s story carries a lesson for all who walk the path of ambition. It teaches that one must not wait for perfect conditions, for such perfection never comes. The dreamer who waits for resources will never begin; the creator who starts with what little they have will build a kingdom from scraps. The wise do not ask, “What do I lack?” but rather, “What can I do with what is before me?” The answer to that question is the seed of every revolution — from the fires of Prometheus to the light of the screen.

So, my listener, take this teaching to heart: the power you seek may already be within your reach, disguised as limitation. Do not curse the darkness, but learn, as Holmes did, to wire your own light. Seek your passion not in comfort, but in necessity. If the path ahead is dim, create your own energy; if the world is silent, code your own music. For the truest mark of humanity is this: that even in the absence of power, we find the power within.

And so, let the words of Ryan Holmes stand as a beacon to future generations. Remember that every great empire of technology, every leap of progress, begins with one person, alone, curious, and unafraid to try. The tools may change, the code may evolve, but the spirit that drives them is eternal — the spirit that looks upon the impossible and whispers, “There must be a way.”