Indiegogo Overcame the Doubters by Trusting Its Users -- and Itself Indiegogo co-founder Slava Rubin explains how he handled rejection.

By Conrad Martin

BIZ Experiences Media

It's not easy to bounce back after rejection -- especially after you've been turned down by 93 VCs in a row.

That's what happened to Slava Rubin, the co-founder of Indiegogo, one of the world's first online crowdfunding platforms. However, instead of letting nearly 100 rejections deter him and his team from pursuing their vision, they mustered self-belief and optimism to overcome the doubts.

Introducing the idea of a marketplace for funding, or as Rubin puts it, a "YouTube for money," was no easy task during a time when the word "crowdfunding" wasn't mainstream. Yet by listening to feedback and trusting both their users and their product, the Indiegogo team pushed through the opposition and found success, learning many lessons along the way.

Related: Indiegogo Co-Founder Says Become Obsessed With the Problem, Not the Solution

"Keep on trying, keep on iterating, keep on learning," Rubin tells BIZ Experiences. "Don't get stuck, because being stuck is a decision in itself."

Watch the interview above to learn more about Rubin and how he dealt with rejection, how he learned to trust his users and ultimately, how he and his company persevered.

Each week, the new pitch show BIZ Experiences Elevator Pitch gives aspiring BIZ Experiencess one minute to prove that their product or business is the next million-dollar idea. You can watch the episodes on BIZ Experiences.com, listen to the pitches and support the ideas you think show promise through Indiegogo.

Conrad Martin

BIZ Experiences Staff

Network Editor at BIZ Experiences.com

Conrad Martin is the Network Editor at BIZ Experiences.com. His areas of focus include native and editorial video, live events, and content distribution.

Want to be an BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Science & Technology

OpenAI's Latest Move Is a Game Changer — Here's How Smart Solopreneurs Are Turning It Into Profit

OpenAI's latest AI tool acts like a full-time assistant, helping solopreneurs save time, find leads and grow their business without hiring.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.

Money & Finance

These Are the Expected Retirement Ages By Generation, From Gen Z to Boomers — and the Average Savings Anticipated. How Do Yours Compare?

Many Americans say inflation prevents them from saving enough and fear they won't reach their financial goals.

Business News

'We Don't Negotiate': Why Anthropic CEO Is Refusing to Match Meta's Massive 9-Figure Pay Offers

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei laid out his rationale on a recent podcast for why he will not play the competing offer game despite Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's attempts to poach AI talent.

Business News

Here's How Much Palantir Pays Its Top Tech Talent, From Software Engineers to AI Researchers

With stock up nearly 500% in a year, Palantir is booming. Here's how that translates into pay for its employees.

Business News

Apple Smashes Expectations With $94 Billion Quarter. Here's How the iPhone Maker Did It.

Apple just reported a significant revenue beat for its latest quarter, exceeding analyst expectations.