In 2006, I quit my job to work on it full-time.
In 2007, my co-founder and I finished the MVP. No one came.
In 2008, we got a big break and it was used by 4 million people.
By 2010, 10,000 companies and 6.5 million people were using it, but we still weren't profitable.
In 2012, we finally figured out a business model.
This past Thursday, 8.5 years later, I got to show it to Barack Obama in front of the national press: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/05/10/recap-big-day-open..., and he mentioned it in a speech later that day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2glCSMxXIF8#t=11m7s
We're on the verge of several deals that could take us to profitability with a headcount of 6.
It's been an insanely difficult road. I think there are many reasons for that, but here's the chronicle:
http://wensing.tumblr.com/post/1215873671/bootstrapping-stor...
http://wensing.tumblr.com/post/26830276239/bootstrapping-sto...
Part 3 should be out soon. :)