Startup History

Skype was once a leading communication platform that changed the way people interacted with each other online. Often credited with revolutionizing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, Skype is considered a pioneer of online communication.  But here’s the thing — they’re not the top dog anymore. Skype’s popularity has waned over the years leaving many to wonder what happened to the once-dominant platform. Did they drop the ball, or were…

OpenAI is a research company that aims to promote and develop “friendly” AI. Last year’s ChatGPT and DALLE-2 managed to take AI mainstream, and now the company is looking to make a few new friends, with Microsoft reportedly planning to pump $10 billion into the business. But where did it all start? What’s the impact of AI? When will robots become sentient? Ok, we don’t know the answer to the…

The task management software market has never been more saturated. Productivity enthusiasts can choose from hundreds of to-do list apps, and there are still more popping up every day. In this Todoist review, we wind back the clock and analyze one of the oldest task management tools in the wild. Here’s the history of Todoist and its development. 📚 Before you start… Are you passionate about personal productivity? Do you…

Like many other startups, Notion didn’t have what you’d call a “smooth ride.” After a fair share of ups and downs and a near failure in 2015, co-founders Ivan Zhao and Simon Last were forced to rebuild the app from scratch. In this Notion review, we put on our detective hats and dig into the history of the product, its founding team, and the Lego-like approach to project management. 📚…

Zapier has contributed to the creation of a new way of software development that has been gaining popularity in recent years. It’s called No-Code, and it is currently taking over software development. Here’s the history of Zapier and its role in shaping this new world. It is predicted that by 2025, 70% of new applications will use no-code or low-code technologies.(1) And while No-Code is not new and has been…

Slack is a well-known messaging app that wasn’t intended to be one. And yet today, many businesses all over the world still rely on it for remote communication. If you’re not familiar with the history of Slack, this article will take you back in time and show how it all started.  💡 Before you start… Want to learn how other popular tools evolved over the years? Check similar articles on…

Founded in 2014 as part of Fog Creek Software, Trello gained traction thanks to its unique take on Kanban boards. After years of steady growth and the acquisition by Atlassian in 2017, it’s still a popular Kanban tool, even if it lacks some of its former luster. Let’s take a deep dive into the history of Trello, its successes and failures, and where it stands today. 💡 Want to peek…

The history of Basecamp, an internal tool turned into a fully-fledged project management app, is the stuff of legend. In today’s article, we take an in-depth look at the origins of 37signals, Basecamp development, and the lessons we can learn from its 20 year-long journey. ⏩ Fast forward to the past… Ready to take a deep dive into the fascinating tales behind popular productivity and collaboration tools? Check these articles…

The history of HipChat is full of twists and turns. After dominating the business communication space, the app that blazed a trail for real-time collaboration ended on a heap of dead software. So, what exactly went wrong with HipChat? Why did it lose in the HipChat vs. Slack grapple? Let’s wind back the clock and find out! 💡 Before you start… Would you like to learn how remote collaboration tools…

There was a time when Stepan Pachikov’s Evernote—originally EverNote—was synonymous with digital note-taking. In today’s article, we take a look at the history of Evernote, the evolution of its product, and where the company stands today. 💡 Before you start… If you love note-taking like we do, be sure to check other note-taking articles on the blog when you’re done reading. 👨‍💻 Stay Organized with Collaborative Note-Taking in Remote Teams…

A little over a year ago, Microsoft killed Wunderlist, the Internet’s favorite to-do app created by a German startup 6Wunderkinder in 2009. In today’s article, we take a look at the history of Wunderlist and the impact it made on the productivity space. While Wunderlist servers shut down on May 6, 2020, many still feel disappointed by Microsoft’s move. Sacrificing the well-polished Wunderlist to make place for To-Do was not…

Google Wave was the darling of I/O in 2009, but in two short years it failed. Understanding why can help us build better collaboration tools for the future of remote work and collaboration tools.