Now we all know the story of Facebook, thanks to the film The Social Network. And with the recent news about the big tech IPO offering of Twitter, we all pretty much know about how its founders came together from Odeo to launch the company. But little is know about these other popular apps and it’s interesting to learn about what inspired the founders to create these now immensely successful apps.

1. IDEAS THAT INSPIRED
DROPBOX
SNAPCHAT
INSTAGRAM
AND OTHERS

2. And now here is my secret, a very simple secret:
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;
what is essential is invisible to the eye.
-- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
“
”

3. We know how Facebook started
(made famous by The Social Network)

4. We know how Facebook started
(made famous by The Social Network)
And pretty much know Twitter’s story too!
(you remember their IPO, don’t you?)

5. We know how Facebook started
(made famous by The Social Network)
And pretty much know Twitter’s story too!
(you remember their IPO, don’t you?)
But little is known about some of the
most successful apps….

7. IDEA THAT INSPIRED SNAPCHAT
Snapchat was started by Evan
Spiegel and Bobby Murphy as a
project for one of Spiegel’s
classes at Stanford University.

8. IDEA THAT INSPIRED SNAPCHAT
The idea germinated from a buddy of Spiegel’s who was
bummed about a photo he regretted sending.

10. IDEA THAT INSPIRED INSTAGRAM
Kevyn Systrom and Mike Krieger originally started a
check-in app called Burbn.

11. IDEA THAT INSPIRED INSTAGRAM
They pivoted to the photos app
because there was no single place
dedicated to giving your mobile
photos a place to live and to be seen.

13. IDEA THAT INSPIRED DROPBOX
Drew Houston conceived the
idea after repeatedly forgetting
his USB flash drive while he was
a student at MIT.

15. IDEA THAT INSPIRED WHATSAPP
WhatsApp was initially
envisioned as an app that
broadcasts your status when
people can’t get a hold of you.

16. IDEA THAT INSPIRED WHATSAPP
The free status update system only attracted
a few thousand users. When it added a
messaging function in the second half
of 2009, it took off.
Image source: Geekwire

18. IDEA THAT INSPIRED SQUARE
Image source: abovethelaw.com
The original inspiration
for Square occurred to
Jack Dorsey in 2009
when his friend was
unable to complete a
$2,000 sale of his glass
faucets and fittings
because he could not
accept credit cards.

20. IDEA THAT INSPIRED YOUTUBE
Hurley and Chen developed the idea after they had experienced
difficulty sharing videos that had been shot at a dinner party.

21. WHAT’S YOUR INSPIRATION?

22. Helping inspired entrepreneurs launch
mobile and web products.
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