"We do everything that we think, and we think that we never think." These two lines fully fit Brian Acton and Jan Koum. Everybody has an Android smartphone, and on your Android phone, no matter which application you install, the permanent application is WhatsApp. This app is mainly used for chatting, voice calling, and video calling. Few people know about WhatsApp's history and WhatsApp's success.
WhatsApp At a Glance
| App Name | |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founders | Brian Acton and Jan Koum |
| Owner | Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly Facebook) |
| Acquired By Facebook | 2014, for $19 billion |
| Main Features | Chatting, voice calling, video calling, file sharing |
| Login Method | Mobile number |
| Active Users | 2+ billion |
How Did WhatsApp Start?
Brian Acton and Jan Koum are the two friends who started WhatsApp. Both friends first worked at Yahoo. They planned to start their own company and left the big company.
At the starting point, Brian Acton and Jan Koum did not succeed, and they thought about doing a regular job. In 2009, Brian Acton applied for a job at Facebook. Brian Acton dreamed of working at Facebook.
Unfortunately, Brian Acton was rejected by Facebook, and he was very disappointed. But he never gave up. He then applied for a job at Twitter, but unfortunately, he was rejected again. In today's world, if anybody is rejected twice, they begin to doubt their ability and sit back at home. But Brian Acton never did this.
He stood up and tried again in a new way. Brian Acton decided that he would never work for another company and would make his own product instead. He worked hard with his friend Jan Koum day and night. With their courage and determination, they created WhatsApp. With WhatsApp, the whole world became connected.
The Life-Changing Moment
WhatsApp was created in 2009, and within 7 years, its growth surpassed Facebook's. The best part of WhatsApp is that it logs in with mobile numbers. After seeing WhatsApp's success, many people started investing in WhatsApp. After that, WhatsApp never looked back. More than 2 billion people now use WhatsApp.
The Facebook company that rejected Brian Acton later bought WhatsApp for $19 billion, which was the biggest acquisition deal at the time. Brian Acton became a shareholder of the Facebook company where he had once gone for a job and been rejected. This is called confidence and success.
Best Lines: Your success depends on how you think. You lose your life with one failure, or the failure that makes you sad gets converted into your strength. Start trying to be successful with new confidence. Recognize your inner potential and rise with new energy — you will be successful.
Key Facts About WhatsApp
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founders | Brian Acton and Jan Koum |
| Previous Employers | Yahoo |
| Rejected By | Facebook and Twitter |
| Acquired By Facebook | 2014, for $19 billion |
| Active Users | 2+ billion |
| Login Method | Mobile number |
Some Lesser Known Facts About WhatsApp
- WhatsApp was founded in 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum.
- Both founders previously worked at Yahoo.
- Brian Acton was rejected by Facebook and Twitter before starting WhatsApp.
- WhatsApp logs in with a mobile number, not an email address.
- Within 7 years, WhatsApp's growth surpassed Facebook's.
- Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014.
- It was the biggest acquisition deal at the time.
- Brian Acton became a shareholder of Facebook.
- WhatsApp is now owned by Meta Platforms.
- WhatsApp has over 2 billion active users worldwide.
- It is used for chatting, voice calling, and video calling.
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