Startups are often termed as the unknown seeds. You never know what fruit it may come up with. Defining the path of a startup seed is hard. Some may fail while others may turn out to be multi-million dollar business enterprises. Ideas are like seeds; it needs to be sowed into the ground with care, watered regularly and placed in proper sunlight for it to grow into a full-fledged tree.
No one could ever guess that a portal designed for college community communication purposes will be the most addictive social networking site in the world. Even the idea which was thought to be marvelous in the beginning failed to succeed and ended up in a major crisis. On the other hand, there were ideas which seemed odd and weird in the beginning, ended up making millions. There is nothing certain in this world except change.
Let’s walk through the pages of history and explore the world of startups filled with strange yet unusual ideas.
Pet Rock
Who could ever think a man can make millions selling rocks? Yes, in the 1970s, one of the greatest American copywriter, creative director, and advertisement agency owner Gary Ross Dahl strangely came up with the idea that rock was some kind of pet and it can be sold to children. A blend of excellent packaging and excellent/unique marketing strategies- was the main secret selling point which made Pet Rock a hit. The idea not only seemed strange and weird, but unbelievable. Moreover, eventually, it made Garry a millionaire.
PayPal
Back in 1998, the internet was still new and winning people’s trust was difficult. It was when PayPal was launched. Soon, it started growing, and today the company has earned the trust of millions of people all over the globe. From individuals to business entities handle their millions of transactions through trust, and it seems that people trust PayPal as much as banks.
SpaceX
Back in 2002, nobody thought that any private organization could come into the competition of space-related technologies. NASA was the only one name that people trusted. Nobody thought that the idea behind SpaceX would lead to a million-dollar business soon. People hardly tried or touched that sector. It failed, that’s true, but after multiple failed launches and fresh investments, things started seeming to pace towards a better way. Soon after some successful launches and significant contracts from NASA, SpaceX has begun rolling into the coaster towards success. As reports suggest, this extraordinary company of Elon Musk is producing some of the greatest, cost-effective and highly practical space-oriented technologies.
Instagram
The world of internet has witnessed a massive transition from the times of email, Orkut to Facebook. In the year 2010, when Facebook was already in the veins of the growing youth of the world, Instagram entered into the scenario. Emerged as a Foursquare knockoff, the social media app started gaining popularity soon when it transformed into a platform entirely dedicated to image sharing. Like most other startups, the idea behind Instagram seemed odd, and its oddity has made the platform to be one of the most popular social media with more 800 million monthly active users.
Amazon
People are reluctant to accept change. Though we all love something new, something extraordinary, moreover a move that can redefine our lives, yet we are afraid to be the change or even a part of it and prefers to be an integral part of the traditional system that exists for years. In the early ‘90s, people still loved the small and fancy bookstores; they loved its smell probably, or maybe the option to read a bit of the book that they are going to purchase. That is when Amazon emerged into the market. Also, just in a matter of few years, the company became one of the most popular sites on the internet. Eventually, Amazon went beyond selling books, and it now sells everything from daily grocery, stationary to automobile accessories and health products.
Are you still thinking that you have a crazy idea, but it won’t be successful? Then give it a last chance and make it happen. You never know, your next weird idea can give birth to the future greatest multi-million dollar business.
