10 Years of Bootstrapping an Overnight Success

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10 Years of Bootstrapping an Overnight Success

Maeghan Ouimet | Inc.com staff

Oct 2, 2012

It took Nick Woodman 10 years to perfect his action camera business GroPro--just in time for

YouTube to launch it into success.

YouTube

Gregg Segal

Strapped Nick Woodman with a selection of GoPro cameras and mounts. On his chest is a 3-D

setup.

There are videos that are so visceral—the skydiver free falling from 10,000 feet or the surfer

shredding through the pipe—that your own heart begins to pound in your ears as you watch. The

perspective from which these moments are captured allows the viewer to live or relive the

experience again and again. These adventurous feats are filmed using tiny, wearable, high-quality

cameras that have gained exposure—particularly because of the rising popularity of video-sharing

websites such as YouTube. Leading the charge is CEO Nick Woodman who bootstrapped his

camera company GoPro for nearly 10 years before seemingly becoming an overnight success. The

company, which makes a series of 2-inch-by-3-inch wearable, durable, waterproof and HD cameras,

has some 3.5 million fans on Facebook and celebrity endorsements from pro athletes and