Some examples of people who bounced back from the brink of death and achieved ambitious things together.
- Apple. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak incorporated Apple Computer Inc. in January 1977. Apple went public in December 1980. The company was on the verge of going bankrupt in 1997. Microsoft (led by Bill Gates) invested $150 million last minute and saved the company. Apple became the world’s most valuable stock in 2011 and the world's first company to hit $3 trillion market value in January 2022. It's still the most valuable company (by market cap) in summer 2023. Source: Steve Jobs.
- Airbnb. Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia and Nathan Blecharczyk launched AirBed & Breakfast in February 2008. They lived off credit card debts and selling cereal named after the two candidates of the 2008 US presidential election: Obama O's and Cap'n McCains. They joined Y Combinator in January 2009. During the COVID-19 pandemic, bookings dropped as much as 96% in some cities and on May 2020, the company layed off about 25% of its workforce. Airbnb went public in December 2020 at a market cap of $86.5 billion. Source: Brian Chesky on The Social Radars.