From Small Beginnings to Big Success: Companies That Started Small
Many of the world’s most successful companies did not start out with the perfect plan. In fact, some of them started out doing something completely different from what they are known for today. Here are some examples of companies that started small:
– Shell started by selling decorative seashells.
– Shopify started as a snowboard company.
– Samsung started as a grocery business.
– Western Union started with telegrams.
– Instagram started as a whiskey app.
– Amazon started by selling books.
– YouTube started as a dating site.
– Nokia started as a paper mill.
– Netflix started with DVDs.
Shell, one of the world’s largest oil companies, started out selling decorative seashells. The company’s founder, Marcus Samuel, saw an opportunity to import seashells from the Far East and sell them to collectors in the UK. The business was successful, and Samuel eventually expanded into other areas, including oil.
Shopify, a leading e-commerce platform, started out as an online store that sold snowboards. The company’s founders, Tobias Lütke, Daniel Weinand, and Scott Lake, were frustrated with the available e-commerce platforms and decided to build their own. Today, Shopify powers over 1 million businesses in more than 175 countries.
Samsung, a global electronics giant, started out as a small grocery business in Korea. The company’s founder, Lee Byung-chul, saw an opportunity to import and sell dried fish, vegetables, and fruit to China. The business was successful, and Lee eventually expanded into other areas, including electronics.
Western Union, a financial services company, started out as a telegraph company. The company’s founder, Hiram Sibley, saw an opportunity to build a telegraph network that would connect the US and Canada. The business was successful, and Western Union eventually expanded into other areas, including money transfers.
Instagram, a popular social media platform, started out as a whiskey app. The company’s founders, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, developed an app called Burbn that allowed users to check in at locations, earn points, and share photos. The app was not successful, but Systrom and Krieger saw potential in the photo-sharing feature and decided to pivot. Today, Instagram has over 1 billion active users.
Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, started out by selling books. The company’s founder, Jeff Bezos, saw an opportunity to build an online bookstore that would offer a wider selection of books than traditional bookstores. The business was successful, and Amazon eventually expanded into other areas, including electronics, clothing, and groceries.
YouTube, a video-sharing platform, started out as a dating site. The company’s founders, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, developed a site called Tune In Hook Up that allowed users to upload videos of themselves. The site was not successful, but the founders saw potential in the video-sharing feature and decided to pivot. Today, YouTube has over 2 billion monthly active users.
Nokia, a leading telecommunications company, started out as a paper mill in Finland. The company’s founder, Fredrik Idestam, saw an opportunity to build a pulp mill that would produce high-quality paper. The business was successful, and Nokia eventually expanded into other areas, including rubber, cables, and electronics.
Netflix, a popular streaming service, started out by renting DVDs. The company’s founder, Reed Hastings, saw an opportunity to build a DVD rental service that would offer a wider selection of movies than traditional video rental stores. The business was successful, and Netflix eventually expanded into other areas, including streaming and original content.
In conclusion, these examples show that success does not always come from having the perfect plan from the start. It’s about actually getting started and being willing to pivot when necessary. Many successful companies started small and grew into the giants they are today by being adaptable and willing to take risks.