From $0 to $400M/year without investments

How did this company grow from $0 to $400M/year without any investments?
Do you hate asking for investments? And then run out of money?
I feel you. It sucks.

Here’s a mind-blowing fact for you.

Did you know that MailChimp:
1. Is a private company owned 100% by 2 cofounders.
2. They never took a penny from investors.
3. They have 12 million users.
4. In 2015 their revenue was $280M/year.
5. In 2016 – $400M.
6. 550 employees work for MailChimp.

Jaw dropped?

Here’s their story:

1. After they had gotten laid off from corporate web design jobs in 2000, 2 friends offered design consulting.

2. Some of their customers started asking for ways to reach their customers by email.
This is the most important core, how my own most successful products started –
When customers, on their own initiative, ask you to solve their problem.

3. For 7 years MailChimp was a side project to the main web design gig.

4. It was only in 2007 that they stopped doing web design and focused on MailChimp.