Pizza Downstairs

Andrew and Eric did.

In early 2007 Andrew and Eric started website call The Point.

Essentially, The Point was a social media platform designed to allow a group of people to come together to solve problems and basically do good things like making the world a better place. It wasn’t intended to be a big moneymaking venture.

While the site worked well it … and while different groups used it to support various causes it just didn’t go anywhere. When the markets started crashing in 2008 The Point began to struggle … Andrew and Eric were forced to lay off staff … and desperately searched for new ways to make money.

After noticing that one group of users had been using The Point to save money by buying things together .. Andrew and Eric realized even though it wasn’t core to their mission it might be ideal to offer similar savings deals to others … and created a side business with a new name to do just that … The first group deal was for pizza at the restaurant below their office.

It was an immediate hit … local media picked up on it … and very quickly The Point’s side business became one of the fast growing success stories of all time.

When Google offered Andrew and Eric $6 billion for the business … they said no.

Today, Andrew and Eric’s website that was originally called The Point has over 10,000 employees in 40 countries … and $3 Billion in sales annually … and you’ve probably bought a deal at least once … Groupon.

Groupon is a great idea .. because trying out new deal might take you in unexpected directions.