In 2015, Eric Yuan had it all. He was the CEO of a successful startup with a valuation of $1 billion. However, he was not content. He wanted more. So he decided to sell his company and start over from scratch. This time, he was going to do things his way. And that’s exactly what he did. This article will learn about Eric Yuan’s journey from failure to success. We will see how he turned his failures into lessons that helped him achieve incredible success. Without further ado, let’s get started!
Eric Yuan was born in China in 1973. He grew up during the country’s Cultural Revolution. When he was a child, his dream was to become an astronaut. Sadly, this dream was dashed when he failed his astronaut physically. Eric didn’t give up, though. He decided to become a computer scientist instead. In 1995, he moved to the United States to study at Standford University. After graduating, he began working for WebEx.
It was at WebEx where Eric had his first taste of success. He quickly rose through the ranks and became the company’s Vice President of Engineering. However, things changed when Cisco acquired WebEx in 2007. Eric was not happy with how Cisco was running the show. He felt that his creativity was being stifled. So, he decided to quit and start his own company.
This is where Eric’s journey took a turn for the worse. His first startup failed miserably. He was devastated. But he didn’t give up. He took this failure as a learning opportunity. He realized that he needed to be more hands-on if he wanted his next startup to succeed. And that’s exactly what he did. In 2013, he founded Zoom, a video conferencing software company. It took Eric a few years to get Zoom off the ground. But once it did, it took off like a rocket.
Since its inception, Zoom has been a huge success. It has been dubbed “the new Skype” and is used by major corporations such as Google, Facebook, and Microsoft. In 2019, it was announced that Zoom would be going public. And in 2020, it was reported that Zoom’s valuation had reached $30 billion. It also reported that Eric Yuan’s net worth was $3.2 billion.
From failure to success, Eric Yuan’s story is truly inspirational. It just shows that with hard work and determination, anything is possible. So, the next time you face a setback, remember Eric Yuan and his journey. Use it as motivation to keep going and never give up on your dreams.
