Stories
How the apps you use every day actually got started — the messy parts included.
Founded 2012
The Guy Whose First Startup Flopped Before He Built TikTok
Zhang Yiming failed at his first company. His second was a news app. TikTok almost happened by accident.
6 min readFounded 2005
YouTube Started as a Dating Site. It Launched on Valentine's Day.
Three ex-PayPal guys built a video dating site nobody wanted. They kept the video part.
5 min readFounded 2010
Instagram Was a Bourbon-Themed Check-In App Before It Was Instagram
It had a to-do list, a points system, and check-ins. Almost none of it survived the launch.
5 min readFounded 2004
Facebook Almost Got Its Founder Expelled — Before It Even Existed
The prank that came before Facebook, the dorm room, and the $500,000 phone call that changed everything.
6 min readFounded 2009
They Got Rejected by Facebook. Facebook Paid $19 Billion for Their Company.
Two guys, one food-stamp office, and the most satisfying plot twist in tech history.
6 min readFounded 2006
Twitter Was a Side Project at a Company Whose Real Product Was Dying
Apple accidentally killed their podcasting startup. What they built instead changed how the internet talks.
6 min readFounded 2011
Three Friends, One Disappearing-Photo App, and a $157 Million Lawsuit
Not every origin story ends clean. This one's a genuine, disputed mess — and still a useful one.
6 min read