He got rejected 8 times trying to enter America.
Then built a product everyone rejected.
Now his app runs the world's meetings.
The mind-blowing story of Zoom's founder and how stubbornness built a $26B company 🧵 x.com
Then built a product everyone rejected.
Now his app runs the world's meetings.
The mind-blowing story of Zoom's founder and how stubbornness built a $26B company 🧵 x.com
In 1997, a 27-year-old Chinese engineer got rejected for his first U.S. visa application.
He would go on to get rejected 7 more times.
But instead of giving up, Eric Yuan kept pushing forward.
What followed would reshape the future of global communication forever... x.com
He would go on to get rejected 7 more times.
But instead of giving up, Eric Yuan kept pushing forward.
What followed would reshape the future of global communication forever... x.com
The official reason for the rejections? "Not convincing enough."
Yuan wasn't alone in his dream: Thousands of ambitious engineers were trying to enter Silicon Valley during the dotcom boom.
But something set him apart:
Pure, unwavering determination. x.com
Yuan wasn't alone in his dream: Thousands of ambitious engineers were trying to enter Silicon Valley during the dotcom boom.
But something set him apart:
Pure, unwavering determination. x.com
When he finally made it to America in 1997, Yuan joined WebEx as one of its founding engineers.
The company's trajectory went Straight up after that.
Then came the first plot twist: Cisco acquired WebEx for $3.2 billion in 2007.
Yuan rose through the ranks, eventually becoming Cisco's Corporate VP of Engineering.
Most people would have settled for this success story.
But Yuan saw something others didn't...
The company's trajectory went Straight up after that.
Then came the first plot twist: Cisco acquired WebEx for $3.2 billion in 2007.
Yuan rose through the ranks, eventually becoming Cisco's Corporate VP of Engineering.
Most people would have settled for this success story.
But Yuan saw something others didn't...
Video conferencing was broken. And he knew how to fix it.
His proposal to rebuild Cisco's video platform from scratch? Rejected.
This rejection would cost Cisco billions.
Because instead of compromising his vision, Yuan left his comfortable corporate job, taking 40 engineers with him.
His proposal to rebuild Cisco's video platform from scratch? Rejected.
This rejection would cost Cisco billions.
Because instead of compromising his vision, Yuan left his comfortable corporate job, taking 40 engineers with him.
The year was 2011. The video conferencing market was already crowded:
- Skype dominated consumer video calls
- WebEx owned enterprise communications
- Microsoft and Google were closing in
But Yuan had a fundamental understanding of what users actually needed. x.com
- Skype dominated consumer video calls
- WebEx owned enterprise communications
- Microsoft and Google were closing in
But Yuan had a fundamental understanding of what users actually needed. x.com
While competitors focused on features, Yuan obsessed over one thing:
Making video calls that actually worked.
The early years were tough:
- Zero name recognition
- Entrenched competitors
- Skeptical investors x.com
Making video calls that actually worked.
The early years were tough:
- Zero name recognition
- Entrenched competitors
- Skeptical investors x.com
But Yuan kept pushing forward, focusing on one metric that mattered:
User happiness.
By 2019, Zoom had grown quietly but steadily. Their IPO valued the company at $9 billion.
Then came the moment no one saw coming:
COVID-19. x.com
User happiness.
By 2019, Zoom had grown quietly but steadily. Their IPO valued the company at $9 billion.
Then came the moment no one saw coming:
COVID-19. x.com
In March 2020, the world shut down. And suddenly, everyone needed video calls that actually worked.
The numbers were staggering:
- Daily users jumped from 10 million to 300 million in 3 months
- Revenue exploded from $622.7M to $2.65B in one year
- Stock price soared from $68 to $560
The numbers were staggering:
- Daily users jumped from 10 million to 300 million in 3 months
- Revenue exploded from $622.7M to $2.65B in one year
- Stock price soared from $68 to $560
The same persistence that got Yuan through 8 visa rejections now powered him through unprecedented growth.
He stayed true to his original mission: Making video calls that actually work.
The result?
- A $14B personal fortune
- A platform used by millions daily
- A fundamental change in how the world communicates
He stayed true to his original mission: Making video calls that actually work.
The result?
- A $14B personal fortune
- A platform used by millions daily
- A fundamental change in how the world communicates
Yuan's story reveals something fascinating:
Traditional gatekeepers thought they could control access to opportunity.
But true innovation finds a way.
His personal brand didn't come from marketing.
It came from persistence and solving real problems. x.com
Traditional gatekeepers thought they could control access to opportunity.
But true innovation finds a way.
His personal brand didn't come from marketing.
It came from persistence and solving real problems. x.com
The next time you join a Zoom call that works flawlessly, remember:
It took 8 visa rejections to make it possible. x.com
It took 8 visa rejections to make it possible. x.com
Thanks for reading! A bit about me:
I’m Shawn, a Generative AI Consultant passionate about building AI-driven solutions. I write about AI, startups, and the future of work. x.com
I’m Shawn, a Generative AI Consultant passionate about building AI-driven solutions. I write about AI, startups, and the future of work. x.com
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