Have you seen it?
They’re calling it the craziest product unveiling in history. Just one video of the event racked up more than nine million views — in three days.
One tech executive called it “Jaw-dropping awesome. Screams and mouths wide open in the audience. Nuts.” A famous tech influencer quipped, “This is a prank, right?”
But it’s real, alright. And believe it or not, there’s a potentially life-changing investment lesson here for investors like you.
Let me explain…
Elon Blows Our Minds
Elon Musk has never been afraid to think big. From electric cars to reusable rockets, he’s built an empire around ideas that once seemed impossible.
This time, though, he may have outdone himself.
Last week, Tesla unveiled its flying car prototype in a demonstration that left the world stunned. During the demonstration, the car went from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than a second. It used suction to climb a steep ramp and hang upside down. Then it launched itself into the air, flipped over, and used powerful air jets to land safely.
It was like something out of a science-fiction movie. If you haven’t seen it yet, click here »
But while everyone was captivated by what the car could do, I was focused more on what the car represented: a potentially world-changing idea.
You see, as crazy as this invention might seem, some of the world’s most successful startups began with ideas that seemed just as ridiculous. And the investors who recognized their potential early on sometimes made life-changing fortunes.
Let me show you what I mean…
Three “Crazy” Ideas That Made Billions
- Airbnb — Sleeping in a Stranger’s House
Today, Airbnb is one of the world’s best-known travel companies.
But back in 2008, its founders had an unusual idea: What if people would pay to sleep on air mattresses in a stranger’s apartment?
Plenty of investors thought it was crazy. In fact, Airbnb’s founders approached seven investors about raising funds at a valuation of just $1.5 million.
Five rejected them. The other two never responded. But Airbnb kept going.
In 2009, Y Combinator invested $20,000 in the company. When Airbnb IPO’d in 2020, that investment had grown 110,000x. That’s an 11 million-percent return — enough to turn just $100 into more than $11 million.
- Uber — Getting into a Stranger’s Car
When Uber launched in 2010, its idea was simple but revolutionary: What if you could press a button on your phone and have a car show up to take you wherever you wanted?
No hailing taxis. No waiting on street corners. Just a few taps on your phone.
Today, that sounds perfectly normal. But back then, it was a radical departure from how people had traveled for decades.
In 2010, venture-investor Mike Walsh invested $5,000 into Uber. By 2019, his stake had grown to nearly $25 million.
- Ring — A Doorbell that Watches You
In 2013, entrepreneur Jamie Siminoff had an unusual idea: What if your doorbell had a camera that let you see and talk to visitors through your smartphone — even when you weren’t home?
He pitched the invention, then called DoorBot, on the TV show “Shark Tank.”
He asked for $700,000 in exchange for 10% of his company, implying a valuation of just $7 million. But none of the Sharks agreed to invest.
Five years later, Amazon acquired the company, renamed Ring, for roughly $1 billion.
Three radical ideas. Three companies that went on to become enormously valuable. And one important lesson for startup investors…
The Next Billion-Dollar Idea
Think about what startups are working on today.
Flying cars. Humanoid robots. AI that can diagnose diseases. Computers that can read your mind.
A few years ago, these ideas might have sounded ridiculous. Some of them still seem far-fetched.
But just as Airbnb, Uber, and Ring changed the way we vacation, travel, and monitor our homes, some of today’s seemingly crazy ideas could eventually change the world.
And the startups behind them could become worth billions of dollars. For investors who recognize their potential early, the financial rewards could be extraordinary.
Of course, not every wild idea will become a successful business.
And therein lies the challenge. How do you separate the crazy ideas that could change the world from the ones that will never get off the ground?
That’s where Crowdability comes in.
Finding Tomorrow’s Winners
We’re constantly searching for startups developing breakthrough technologies and products. Ideas that might sound crazy today, but could become commonplace tomorrow.
But we don’t recommend a company simply because its invention is exciting. We dig deeper.
We examine its management team. Its business model. The size of its potential market. And the progress it’s making toward turning its big idea into a successful business.
In other words, we look for more than just an exciting invention. We look for the ingredients of a potentially successful investment.
Our goal is to help you identify the opportunities that deserve a closer look — before they become household names.
After all, there was a time when sleeping in a stranger’s house, summoning a car with your phone, or owning a video doorbell sounded ridiculous.
Today, those ideas have created businesses worth billions. And somewhere out there, another seemingly crazy idea could be on its way to doing the same.
Our mission is to help you find it.
Happy investing,
