December 2024
The journey from zero to one million dollars often begins with a single, transformative milestone: earning the first $1,000. This initial success is more than a financial achievement—it is proof that an idea resonates with its audience. Let’s delve into the stories of several businesses that reached this crucial first milestone, breaking down how they turned ideas into reality and laying the groundwork for eventual exponential growth.
Before Canva revolutionized graphic design for millions, its co-founder Melanie Perkins started small. Teaching students how to use traditional design software, she noticed the steep learning curve and time required to create even simple designs. Identifying a common pain point, she conceptualized Canva as an intuitive tool anyone could use.
Perkins’ first step wasn’t building a full-scale platform but validating the idea. Alongside her co-founder, they created Fusion Books, an online yearbook design tool for schools, which allowed users to easily design and order yearbooks. Without a large marketing budget, they began reaching out directly to schools, pitching the tool as a way to simplify yearbook production. Through personal emails, phone calls, and live demonstrations, they secured a small but enthusiastic customer base.
Their early revenue came from these direct sales. By focusing on delivering an excellent product and maintaining close communication with their users, they hit their first $1,000 in revenue, proving demand for their approach. This success with Fusion Books became the foundation for the much larger vision of Canva, which now serves millions of users worldwide.
Eric Bandholz started Beardbrand to cater to a niche audience: men passionate about grooming and lifestyle. Initially, he shared content on YouTube about beard care, building an engaged community of viewers who appreciated his authenticity.
When he realized there was no established brand specifically catering to this group, he decided to fill the gap. Instead of immediately investing in manufacturing or inventory, Bandholz started by selling a curated collection of beard oils from third-party vendors through an online store. With just a Shopify store and his existing YouTube audience, he earned his first $1,000.
The early success was rooted in community engagement. Bandholz actively interacted with viewers, answered questions, and asked for feedback on what products they wanted to see. As revenue grew, he reinvested into developing Beardbrand’s own line of grooming products. Today, Beardbrand generates millions in revenue, but its story started with a simple strategy: connect with an underserved audience, provide value, and start small.
The journey of DoorDash began in a Stanford dorm room, where four students were brainstorming solutions to real-world problems. They discovered a consistent issue faced by local businesses: the lack of affordable delivery options. To validate the concept, the team didn’t build a complex app right away. Instead, they created a simple website called “Palo Alto Delivery” and listed a few local restaurants.
To test demand, they started taking orders manually and personally delivered the food using their own cars. Their first revenue came directly from these small-scale deliveries. By keeping things simple and focusing on learning from their initial customers, they quickly hit $1,000 in earnings.
The key to their early success was the iterative approach. Each delivery taught them something new about customer preferences and operational challenges. This hands-on experience laid the groundwork for building a scalable logistics platform. DoorDash is now a leader in the food delivery industry, but it all began with a humble experiment and a willingness to deliver on promises—literally.
Eliza Blank founded The Sill to make indoor plants more accessible to millennials living in urban environments. Blank noticed a trend: people wanted to bring greenery into their homes but often struggled with selecting, purchasing, and maintaining plants.
Her first $1,000 came from selling plants at pop-up events. Instead of investing heavily in a storefront or website, Blank focused on community-building, using Instagram to connect with plant enthusiasts. Her strategy involved creating educational content about plant care and using social media to showcase curated plant designs that appealed to her target audience.
By combining online and offline efforts, she quickly attracted her first customers, many of whom were drawn in by her approachable tone and stylish branding. The first sales validated the idea and helped her reinvest in inventory for a small e-commerce platform. Today, The Sill is a thriving business, but its roots lie in grassroots efforts and deep understanding of customer needs.
Each of these stories illustrates a simple truth: the journey to one million dollars begins with a laser focus on the first $1,000. Entrepreneurs didn’t start with grandiose plans or massive funding; they began by solving small but meaningful problems, validating their ideas with real customers, and leveraging personal networks or niche communities.
Success isn’t achieved overnight, but these businesses demonstrate that starting small, staying customer-focused, and iterating based on feedback are the key ingredients to building a lasting business. Whether it’s delivering food, designing yearbooks, or curating products for a niche audience, the first steps often involve rolling up your sleeves and getting as close to the customer as possible.
