From Side Hustles to Major Companies: Proof that You Can Grow Your Business from Moonlighting
- Apple Inc. – Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak began building and selling personal computers from their garage while working regular jobs.
- Amazon.com – Jeff Bezos initially started the company as an online bookstore while working as a hedge fund manager.
- Google – Larry Page and Sergey Brin developed the search engine as a research project while pursuing their Ph.D. studies at Stanford University.
- Instagram – Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger created the photo-sharing app as a side project while working at other companies.
- WhatsApp – Jan Koum and Brian Acton developed the messaging app while they were still employed at Yahoo.
- Spanx – Sara Blakely started the shapewear company as a side business while working a full-time job.
- Etsy – Rob Kalin, Chris Maguire, and Haim Schoppik launched the e-commerce platform for handmade goods while working on other projects.
- GoPro – Nick Woodman invented the first GoPro camera while surfing and seeking a solution for capturing action footage.
- Dell Technologies – Michael Dell started selling personal computers from his dorm room while studying at the University of Texas.
- LinkedIn – Reid Hoffman co-founded the professional networking platform while he was still employed at PayPal.
- Reddit – Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian developed the social news aggregation site while they were college roommates.
- GitHub – Chris Wanstrath and Tom Preston-Werner created the web-based hosting service for software development while working on other projects.
- Trello – Joel Spolsky and Michael Pryor launched the collaborative project management tool while running their respective companies.
- Slack – Stewart Butterfield, Eric Costello, Cal Henderson, and Serguei Mourachov developed the team collaboration platform while working on another startup project.
- Buffer – Joel Gascoigne and Leo Widrich built the social media scheduling tool as a side project while working full-time jobs.
- Airbnb – Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia started renting out air mattresses in their apartment to earn extra income while living in a high-demand city during a conference.
- WordPress – Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little created the popular content management system while juggling other commitments.
- Groupon – Andrew Mason launched the daily deals website as a side project while working as a freelance web developer.
- Tesla – Elon Musk co-founded Tesla Motors while also running SpaceX and serving as chairman of SolarCity.
- Under Armour – Kevin Plank started the sports apparel company from his grandmother’s basement while playing football for the University of Maryland.
- Patagonia – Yvon Chouinard began selling climbing gear out of his car while pursuing his passion for rock climbing.
- Craigslist – Craig Newmark started the online classified advertisements platform as an email distribution list to friends while working at a software company.
- Warby Parker – Dave Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal created the affordable eyewear brand as a side project while pursuing their MBA degrees.
- Dropbox – Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi developed the file hosting service while attending college and working part-time jobs.
- YouTube – Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim founded the video-sharing platform as a side project while working at PayPal.
- Pinterest – Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp launched the image sharing and discovery platform while working on other projects.
