What led Elon Musk to start a company was, in his own words, a job rejection. In an interview with Y Combinator, Musk revealed that he initially tried to get a job at Netscape, a pioneering internet company, but received no response and decided to start his own company.
"I should point out that I didn't actually at first intend to start a company. I tried to get a job at Netscape…and I sent my resume into Netscape and Mark Andreessen (co-founder of Netscape) knows about this but I don't think he ever saw my resume and then nobody responded," Musk said.
"So then I tried hanging out in the lobby of Netscape to see if I could bump into someone, but I was too shy to talk to anyone. So I'm like, man, this is ridiculous. So I'll just write stuff for myself and see how it goes," he added.
🚨ELON MUSK: "I tried to get a job at Netscape. I sent my resume, but I don't think they ever saw my resume & nobody responded. I tried hanging out in the lobby of Netscape to see if I could bump into someone, but I was too shy at talking to anyone. So, I started my own company." pic.twitter.com/RJW4BKBFUJ
June 19, 2025AdvertisementNetspace was a Melbourne-based internet and fixed telephone services provider. It initially offered dial-up internet access but quickly transitioned to providing ADSL-based services, including Telstra ADSL and its own DSLAMs in certain regions.
The company catered to retail, small office/home office (SoHo), and business customers, offering services such as DNS, co-location, web hosting, and VoIP. Netspace was later acquired by iiNet for $40 million in 2010, and its brand was retired.
AdvertisementIn 1995, Musk began his entrepreneurial journey by co-founding Zip2, a software company that provided business directories and maps for newspapers. This venture marked his first significant step into the tech world. Zip2 was eventually sold to Compaq for nearly $300 million in 1999.
Following the success of Zip2, Musk co-founded X.com, an online payment company, in 1999. X later became PayPal after a merger. In 2002, eBay acquired PayPal for $1.5 billion in stock.
AdvertisementMusk's early experiences and ventures laid the foundation for his later achievements, including founding SpaceX and joining Tesla Motors.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.