Jan Koum and Brian Acton built WhatsApp in 2009 without funding. With no ads or marketing, it grew through user referrals. Facebook later bought it for $19 billion.
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Sophia Amoruso – Nasty Gal
Sophia Amoruso launched Nasty Gal on eBay with $0. She scaled it into a $100M+ fashion brand through reinvestment and social media..
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Daymond John began FUBU from home, funding it with restaurant shifts. It became a $6B streetwear brand embraced by hip-hop culture.
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Melanie Perkins built Canva after repeated rejections. Starting with no capital, she turned it into a $25B+ design platform.
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Steve Jobs co-founded Apple in a garage, funding it by selling his van. That first computer launched a $3T tech empire.
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