TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The end of the road is certainly not failure, as proven by several successful entrepreneurs who failed at first. Overcoming numerous obstacles, these prominent figures transformed rejections and failures into their legendary stories. Their journeys serve as a reminder for those concerned about the future, showing that failure can be a stepping stone toward success.
List of Successful Entrepreneurs Who Failed at First
Both Cuppa and Business.com named Arianna Huffington, the co-founder of HuffPost, as one of the successful entrepreneurs who initially faced setbacks. Read on to find out her stories and other notable individuals with similar beginnings.
1. Arianna Huffington - The Huffington Post
Arianna Huffington, the co-founder of HuffPost, is among the successful entrepreneurs who failed at first. Before launching the popular news platform, she was accompanied by nothing but rejections. Her second book was turned down by around 36 to 40 publishers, and her bid for governor of California garnered less than 1 percent of the vote.
These setbacks, however, taught her valuable lessons that ultimately led to her success, especially the power of the internet. She harnessed the potential of this global network of interconnected computers to create one of the world’s most well-known news platforms today.
2. Bill Gates - Traf-O-Data
Before becoming one of the richest people in the U.S., Bill Gates experienced failure with his first startup, Traf-O-Data. At the age of 15, Gates and his friends developed the concept of a company to process traffic data, which ultimately proved unsuccessful. Despite this initial flop, he used the experience to gain valuable insights into software development, and soon after, Microsoft was founded.
3. Colonel Harland Sanders - KFC
The mastermind behind Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Colonel Harland Sanders, had no idea that his recipe would become a global phenomenon in the fast food industry. Starting his franchising career at an age many would consider late—in his 60s—Sanders attempted to sell his fried chicken recipe to local restaurants. After encountering 1,009 rejections, he kept knocking on doors until one restaurant finally embraced his offering.
4. Steve Jobs - Apple
Among the successful entrepreneurs who failed at first, Steve Jobs’ story was truly one of a kind. As a co-founder of Apple, Jobs unexpectedly found himself ousted in the mid-1980s after producing unsuccessful products that cost the company millions of dollars.
Following his departure, he went on to create NeXT, a company that Apple eventually acquired in 1996—paving the way for his return to the company in 1997. Under his leadership, Apple then became a tech powerhouse and transformed multiple industries, from music to smartphones.
5. Howard Schultz - Starbucks
The Starbucks empire did not find its way to nearly every corner of the globe on its own—it owes much of its success to the renowned Howard Schultz. A year after joining Starbucks, Schultz pitched Italy's coffee culture to the company's founders, who were initially hesitant.
He then left Starbucks in 1985 and secured US$400,000 in funding to launch his own business, despite facing 217 rejections from 242 investors. In 1986, Schultz finally opened his first store, “Il Giornale,” and just two years later, he acquired the original Starbucks retail chain for US$3.8 million. Within four years under his leadership, the coffeehouse chain had expanded to more than 100 locations, as noted by Britannica.
6. Walt Disney - Disney
Walt Disney’s story is filled with rejection and failure. His first animation company, Laugh-O-Gram Studios, went bankrupt. With only US$40 in his pocket, he headed to Los Angeles to pursue acting, but once again, he failed.
Though he found success with the creation of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Mickey Mouse, and Snow White, he continued to grapple with mounting debts, personal challenges, and struggles to stay afloat. But today, Disney is one of the most universally recognized names in the entertainment industry.
7. Rowland Hussey Macy - Macy’s
Throughout his life, Rowland Hussey Macy was dedicated to entrepreneurship. He started seven different businesses—each of which failed—before achieving the success of Macy’s, the major department store he opened in New York City in 1858. His eventual triumph was a direct result of the lessons he gleaned from his preceding failures.
The path to success is rarely a straight line. If you have faced failure or rejection, remember that you are not alone. Some of the most iconic entrepreneurs in history experienced massive setbacks before they achieved widespread recognition.
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