When you’re building a business, it’s easy to compare yourself to already established companies. These entrepreneurs started small and built widely recognized brands through persistence, creative problem-solving, and a clear understanding of what their customers needed.
Melanie Perkins (Canva)
Before Canva became a global design platform, Melanie Perkins was teaching students how to use graphic design software. She saw how complicated existing tools were and believed design could be made more accessible.
Perkins spent years pitching investors and was rejected dozens of times before securing funding. She launched Canva in 2013, focusing on simplicity and ease of use. Today, it’s one of the most widely used graphic design tools.
Brian Chesky (Airbnb)
Brian Chesky and his co-founders started Airbnb by renting out air mattresses in their apartment to help pay rent. The idea came from a simple observation: People needed short-term lodging when hotels were full. To fund the business early on, they sold novelty cereal boxes during the 2008 election. Airbnb eventually grew into a global marketplace connecting travelers with hosts in millions of cities.
Jan Koum (WhatsApp)
Jan Koum immigrated to the United States from Ukraine and lived on food stamps as a teenager. He taught himself computer programming and later worked at Yahoo. Koum launched WhatsApp in 2009 as a simple messaging app that avoided ads and focused on user privacy. The app grew rapidly through word of mouth, and in 2014, Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion.
Brian Chesky and his co-founders started Airbnb by renting out air mattresses in their apartment to help pay rent.
Hamdi Ulukaya (Chobani)
Hamdi Ulukaya started Chobani after buying a closed yogurt factory in New York using a U.S. Small Business Administration loan. Rather than creating a new product category, he focused on improving quality and using simple ingredients. Chobani grew steadily and helped popularize Greek yogurt in the U.S. Ulukaya also built the company around employee ownership and community investment, showing that growth and social responsibility can co-exist.
Sara Blakely (Spanx)
Sara Blakely was selling fax machines door to door when she used $5,000 of her savings to develop Spanx. Her business idea came from trying to solve a personal problem: finding undergarments that worked under white pants. Blakely handled everything from product design to sales calls herself in the early days. She never took outside funding and owned 100% of the company until she sold a controlling stake in 2021.
Common traits shared by these entrepreneurs
While their industries and backstories differ, these founders share several traits that helped them succeed. Each one started by focusing on solving a specific problem, not necessarily on building a massive company. They were also willing to take financial risks, accept rejection, and adjust their plans as they learned what worked.
Many also relied on their creativity rather than capital. Early funding came from savings, a side income, or unconventional ideas. Branding and customer connection played a major role, especially for those who grew through word of mouth or social media rather than paid advertising.
Lessons small business owners can learn from these successful founders
These success stories show that large amounts of startup capital aren’t always necessary. Several of these businesses began with a single product or service and later expanded. Growth came from refining that initial offering and reinvesting profits rather than chasing rapid expansion.
They also highlight the importance of distribution and marketing. A top-selling product is propelled by visibility, whether that’s through partnerships or strong personal branding. And early setbacks didn’t prevent these entrepreneurs from long-term success — in many cases, those struggles led to better decisions down the road.
How to start small with a big vision
Many of these entrepreneurs began with modest goals but built systems that could scale over time. Aspiring business owners can take a similar approach by identifying one specific customer need and creating a basic version of that product or service to test demand.
You can also start with what you already have, whether that’s using your current skills, selling through existing platforms, or relying on your personal savings instead of looking for outside funding. Your early efforts should focus on learning what customers value most and adjusting based on real feedback.
And rather than rushing to scale, building gradually can help strengthen your operations and customer relationships. Setting long-term goals can provide direction, but progress usually comes from consistent, small improvements. Over time, those early experiments can develop into systems that support steady growth.
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