Brian Armstrong: From Airbnb To Coinbase, A Crypto Success Story

Brian Armstrong, the CEO and co-founder of Coinbase, shared a fascinating insight into how he built the famous crypto platform while working full-time at Airbnb. His testimony highlights the discipline and sacrifices necessary to turn an idea into a thriving business.

Do not mix work and personal projects

Brian Armstrong begins with an important piece of advice for those considering launching a crypto project while being employed: avoid working on your personal project on your employer’s time or equipment. He explains:

If you build it on the company’s time or equipment, the company might own the intellectual property.

For about a year and a half, Armstrong juggled between his job at Airbnb and building the crypto exchange Coinbase. He describes his exhausting routine:

I often worked at Airbnb until 7 PM. I would go home, have dinner, then work from 8 PM to midnight, about 3-4 nights a week. On weekends, I often worked Sunday afternoons for 7 to 8 hours.

This discipline allowed him to advance Coinbase to obtain seed funding from Y Combinator, and he admits that this frantic pace impacted his social life:

I sacrificed friendships for this. It’s not that I never responded to people, but there comes a time when you realize that time is limited and precious. At that moment, I decided to commit fully to this project, no matter the cost.

A message of encouragement for crypto users

For those who wish to realize their crypto projects or others, Brian Armstrong advises to take action and go all in! Launch your project. Even if you don’t know where to start, do something. Action generates information and will guide you in the right direction.

Under the initiative of its CEO Brian Armstrong, Coinbase continues to innovate relentlessly. Their latest innovation, “Gmail for Bitcoin“, aims to simplify and democratize the use of Bitcoin, making crypto transactions as easy as sending an email.

The story of Brian Armstrong illustrates the determination and sacrifices necessary to turn a vision into success. Despite the challenges faced in the crypto realm, his journey reminds us that action and perseverance are essential. For those dreaming of creating, his message is clear: dare to act, as every effort brings you closer to your goal.