Long before brands became household names, the entrepreneurship lore behind them wasn't always success stories from the start. While it's a rewarding journey, sometimes, results can show up far too long and with several unique challenges that can be hard to overcome. But as the saying goes, "There's always a rainbow at the end of the tunnel," and these 4 entrepreneur success stories can prove it right.
1. Bumble
Some apps are the way they are based on the character that built them and Bumble's entrepreneurial success is one of the stories you can learn if you want to challenge the status quo.
Harvard Business School shared that Former Tinder employee, Whitney Wolfe Herd, had a brilliant idea after leaving an abusive relationship in 2014. This time, the power is on women and the goal is to begin a new dating dynamic with women as the leading conversation starter.
By teaming up with former colleagues in Tinder, Wolfe Herd developed Bumble, which quickly gained popularity upon release with 100,000 downloads in its first month.
2. Etsy
You probably heard personal businesses going big on Etsy. But it's also the same way the site itself became popular, hence, the beauty of fostering and maintaining a tight-knit community.
Yo!Kart learned that Etsy was born in 2005 at a small Brooklyn, NY, apartment. It was made by a group of friends looking to create a platform for handmade and vintage goods. Interestingly, Etsy started growing the same way businesses on the site grew, which is through the help of a strong community of artisans. Last year, the platform raked in $2.75 billion in revenue.
3. Under Armour
Under Armour is one of those entrepreneur success stories you can learn from, especially with the way you can use and apply networking.
Per Fundable, Under Armour used to have an office in Kevin Plank's grandmother's basement. The edge was to focus on moisture-wicking apparel for athletes, which was being offered by none at the time. Initially, Plank sold it to family and friends but gained traction when he began networking in the sports industry.
Today, Under Armour can be placed at the same level as top-selling brand apparel like Nike and Adidas, making it a major player in the sports industry.
4. Airbnb
The way Airbnb rose to popularity automatically makes it to the list of entrepreneur success stories you can learn from—all you had to do was look around and see what else you can offer to make things easier for people.
In 2008, Industry Leaders Magazine stated that two roommates in a San Francisco apartment, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, started renting out their mattresses to make extra money. With the same idea, they used the process of homeowners renting out spaces to tourists or travelers.
Today, Airbnb is now a multibillion-dollar company that accommodates millions of people traveling worldwide.
Read next: 7 Tips on How to Save Money While Travelling
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