In a world where the 9-to-5 grind often feels stifling, these entrepreneurs dared to dream bigger. They started with side hustles fueled by passion, nurtured them with unwavering dedication, and ultimately transformed them into thriving businesses that changed their lives – and sometimes, the world.
From humble beginnings in garages and spare bedrooms, these 30 individuals took the leap of faith, proving that with the right mix of creativity, grit, and a sprinkle of luck, a side hustle can become a life-changing success story.
- Steve Jobs & Steve Wozniak (Apple): These two college dropouts started Apple as a side project in Jobs’ garage. Their passion for personal computing led to the creation of the Apple I and II, laying the foundation for one of the most influential tech companies in history.
- Sara Blakely (Spanx): While working as a door-to-door fax machine salesperson, Blakely developed the idea for Spanx, a revolutionary shapewear brand. Starting with just $5,000 in savings, she turned her side hustle into a billion-dollar empire.
- Jan Koum & Brian Acton (WhatsApp): After leaving Yahoo!, Koum and Acton started WhatsApp as a side project to provide a simple and reliable messaging app. Little did they know, their side hustle would eventually be acquired by Facebook for a staggering $19 billion.
- Jack Dorsey (Twitter): While working at Odeo, a podcasting company, Dorsey began experimenting with a short-form messaging service. That side project became Twitter, one of the most influential social media platforms of our time.
- Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger (Instagram): Systrom and Krieger initially developed a location-based check-in app called Burbn. They later pivoted to focus on photo-sharing, and Instagram was born. Their side project revolutionized how we share and consume visual content, leading to a $1 billion acquisition by Facebook.
- Etsy (Rob Kalin, Chris Maguire, Haim Schoppik, Jared Tarbell): This group of friends created Etsy as a side project to sell their handmade crafts online. Today, Etsy is a global marketplace for handmade and vintage goods, empowering millions of creative entrepreneurs.
- Under Armour (Kevin Plank): Plank started Under Armour in his grandmother’s basement, selling moisture-wicking shirts out of his car. His passion for sports and innovative apparel led to the creation of a global athletic brand.
- Shopify (Tobias Lütke, Daniel Weinand, Scott Lake): Lütke and his co-founders initially built Shopify as an e-commerce platform for their snowboard shop. Frustrated with existing solutions, they created their own platform, which has since become a go-to solution for millions of online businesses.
- Pinterest (Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, Evan Sharp): Silbermann and his co-founders started Pinterest as a side project to help people collect and organize their ideas visually. Their simple yet addictive platform quickly gained traction, becoming a popular destination for discovering and sharing inspiration.
- TheSkimm (Danielle Weisberg & Carly Zakin): Weisberg and Zakin started TheSkimm as a daily email newsletter summarizing the news in a fun and accessible way. Their side hustle quickly gained a loyal following, leading to the expansion of their brand into podcasts, products, and a thriving community.
- Houzz (Adi Tatarko & Alon Cohen): Frustrated with their own home renovation experience, Tatarko and Cohen created Houzz, a platform for home renovation and design inspiration. Their side project quickly grew into a massive online community and marketplace, connecting homeowners with professionals and products.
- GoFundMe (Brad Damphousse & Andrew Ballester): Damphousse and Ballester founded GoFundMe as a platform for people to raise money for personal causes and life events. The platform has since become a powerful tool for crowdfunding, enabling individuals and communities to support each other in times of need.
- Airbnb (Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, Nathan Blecharczyk): Originally conceived as a way to rent out air mattresses in their apartment, Airbnb has revolutionized the hospitality industry, connecting travelers with unique accommodations around the world.
- Craigslist (Craig Newmark): Newmark started Craigslist as a side project to share local events and job listings with his friends. The platform’s simple design and community-driven approach made it a global phenomenon, transforming classified advertising.
- GitHub (Tom Preston-Werner, Chris Wanstrath, PJ Hyett): These software developers created GitHub as a side project to collaborate on code. It has since become the world’s largest code hosting platform, empowering developers to build software together.
- The Hustle (Sam Parr & John Havel): Parr and Havel started The Hustle as a daily email newsletter delivering business news with a witty and irreverent tone. Their side hustle resonated with readers, leading to a media company with millions of subscribers and a thriving community.
- Fiverr (Micha Kaufman & Shai Wininger): Kaufman and Wininger co-founded Fiverr, an online marketplace for freelance services. Their platform democratized access to talent, allowing individuals and businesses to connect with freelancers offering a wide range of skills.
- Twitch (Justin Kan, Emmett Shear, Michael Seibel, Kyle Vogt): The founders of Twitch initially started Justin.tv, a platform for live streaming anything and everything. They later pivoted to focus on gaming, and Twitch became the world’s leading live streaming platform for gamers.
- Mailchimp (Ben Chestnut & Dan Kurzius): Chestnut and Kurzius started Mailchimp as a side project to help small businesses with their email marketing. Their easy-to-use platform quickly gained popularity, leading to the creation of a marketing automation giant.
- ConvertKit (Nathan Barry): Barry, a designer and author, created ConvertKit as a side project to help him manage his email list. ConvertKit’s simple yet powerful email marketing tools have made it a popular choice for creators and bloggers.
- Patreon (Jack Conte & Sam Yam): Conte and Yam founded Patreon as a platform for creators to get paid for their work by their fans. Patreon has empowered artists, musicians, writers, and other creators to build sustainable businesses based on their creative output.
- Product Hunt (Ryan Hoover): Hoover started Product Hunt as an email list to share the latest tech products with his friends. It has since evolved into a popular platform for discovering new products and startups.
- Reddit (Steve Huffman & Alexis Ohanian): Huffman and Ohanian co-founded Reddit as a side project while studying at the University of Virginia. Their platform has become one of the most popular online communities in the world, known for its diverse range of topics and user-generated content.
- Buffer (Joel Gascoigne): Gascoigne built Buffer as a simple tool to schedule social media posts. The platform’s ease of use and focus on analytics helped it grow into a comprehensive social media management solution.
- AppSumo (Noah Kagan): Kagan, a former employee at both Facebook and Mint, founded AppSumo, a daily deals website for software and digital products. AppSumo offers discounts on popular tools and services, making them more accessible to small businesses and entrepreneurs.
- Thinkific (Greg Smith, Matt Smith, Miranda Lievers, and Graeme Scott): These four co-founders created Thinkific as a platform for entrepreneurs and educators to create and sell online courses. Thinkific has empowered thousands of people to share their knowledge and expertise with the world.
- Teachable (Ankur Nagpal): Nagpal founded Teachable as a platform for creating and selling online courses. Teachable’s user-friendly interface and robust features have made it a popular choice for educators and content creators.
- Skillshare (Michael Karnjanaprakorn & Malcolm Ong): Karnjanaprakorn and Ong co-founded Skillshare, an online learning community where people can take and teach creative classes. Skillshare has democratized education by making it accessible to anyone with an internet connection.
- MasterClass (David Rogier & Aaron Rasmussen): Rogier and Rasmussen founded MasterClass, a platform that offers online courses taught by world-renowned experts in their fields. MasterClass has made it possible for anyone to learn from the best in the world, from cooking to acting to writing..
What Can You Learn From Them?
The success stories of these side hustle entrepreneurs offer invaluable lessons for aspiring business leaders:
- Don’t Underestimate Your Passion Project: What starts as a hobby or side gig can blossom into a successful business if you’re willing to nurture it and put in the effort..
- Identify a Problem and Solve It: Many of these entrepreneurs found success by identifying a problem they faced or saw in the market and creating a solution.
- Embrace Experimentation and Iteration: Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things. Many of these entrepreneurs pivoted their original ideas or business models to find the right fit for their target market.
- Be Resourceful: Starting a business doesn’t always require a lot of capital. These entrepreneurs often started with limited resources and bootstrapped their way to success.
- Perseverance is Key: Building a successful business takes time, effort, and resilience. These entrepreneurs faced challenges and setbacks but never gave up on their dreams.
For in-depth profiles, inspiring stories, and expert insights on these and other remarkable entrepreneurs, join our club at https://100dollarsclub.com/join/
