Founder stories

50 company stories worth studying

How startups built demand, handled growth, and changed under new owners. Read the histories, learn from their decisions, and explore what you could build today.

50 stories · Showing 10

Myspace
01
A social network connecting people, artists, and music.
Give a community a useful object.
Social Media
Fitbit
02
Wearable fitness trackers with activity, sleep and health software.
Engagement needs its own business model.
Hardware Health Tech
Oculus
03
Virtual reality headsets and developer software, acquired by Facebook.
Recruit the builders early.
Hardware Gaming
Waze
04
Community-powered navigation with real-time traffic reports.
Useful driving beats installs.
Consumer Transportation
Nest
05
Connected thermostats, smoke alarms, and home cameras developed by Nest Labs, acquired by Google.
Start with one useful purchase.
Hardware Consumer
Zynga
06
Social and mobile game publisher behind FarmVille, Words With Friends, and Zynga Poker.
Use existing relationships.
Gaming Consumer
Tumblr
07
A social publishing platform for creators and interest communities.
Distribution came from participation.
Social Media
Pandora
08
Personalized internet radio and on-demand music streaming.
Find the right buyer.
Consumer Media
Shazam
09
Music recognition that identifies songs from recorded audio.
Solve the difficult part clearly.
Consumer Media
Musical.ly
10
Short music-video creation and social sharing for teen performers.
Reduce the contributor’s work.
Consumer Media