The Story of Zoom.

Let me tell you a story that never fails to move me. A story not of unicorns or pitch decks or billion-dollar valuations... But of love. Yes—real love. And how it quietly built one of the most iconic tech platforms in the world.

The story of Zoom.

I still remember reading about Eric Yuan years ago. A man who didn’t set out to build “the next big thing.” He set out to fix a personal problem: He just wanted to see his girlfriend.

Eric had moved to the U.S. from China. He didn’t speak English fluently. He didn’t come from Ivy League corridors. He worked at WebEx, a video conferencing platform, where he had ideas to improve the tech. But nobody listened.

And every time he tried to connect with his girlfriend over a video call— The screen froze. The audio dropped. The faces pixelated. And the heartbreak was real.

Most of us would’ve given up or adjusted to the poor call quality. Eric didn’t.

He left WebEx. Started from scratch. And began building Zoom.

Not with millions in VC money. Not with Silicon Valley hype.

In fact—he was rejected by 40 investors.

Each of them said the same thing:

“Why would the world need another video app?”

But here’s where this story becomes my favorite kind: He didn’t stop.

Eric Yuan built Zoom with one obsession: “It should just work.”

No lags. No downloads. No complexity. Just a clean, human connection.

That simple.

There were no influencer campaigns. No fancy marketing blitz. Just users telling each other:

“Try Zoom. It just works.”

And then… came 2020.

As the world shut down—Zoom powered on. We all lived through it.

Offices moved online. Schools went virtual. Families connected through pixels and screens. Weddings, birthdays, job interviews, funerals… all happened on Zoom.

But Zoom wasn’t built for a pandemic. It was built to bring people closer. It just so happened that the world caught up to what one man had quietly been building for years.

And that, my friends, is what I want you to take away today.

Zoom wasn’t built to “crush the competition.” It was built to connect people—with clarity and care.

Eric Yuan didn’t build for fame. He built for love.

So the next time you face rejection... When the world says, “Why are you building this?” When you're tempted to quit…

Just ask yourself: Am I building for love? Or for likes? Because purpose lasts longer than hype.

This is The Startup Stories by SkillKrafter Academy—where I, Ajit Panicker, bring you stories that remind us why we build.

Until next time— Zoom out. Zoom in. But never zoom past your purpose.

Know someone building something from the heart? Forward this to them.

📩 Follow SkillKrafter Academy for more real stories that inspire real builders.

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[Ajit Panicker] Life Skills Facilitator | L&D Architect | Motivational Speaker | Author of 'BOSSOLOGY: HOW TO MANAGE YOUR BOSS?' | Transformation Coach | Founder – The SkillKrafter Academy

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