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Commerce pivot story / founded 1998

PayPal pivot story

PalmPilot security software found its destiny in payments.

PayPal logo

PalmPilot wallet -> internet money

Before

Confinity, cryptography and payments for handheld devices.

to

After

Online payments, especially for marketplaces like eBay.

The pivot story

The handheld wallet idea was early, but people on eBay desperately needed an easier way to send money online. PayPal followed that pull.

Why it worked

It met urgent marketplace demand with a product that felt faster and safer than checks or money orders.

Known for

Digital payments

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Made by a human on the internet

Big companies were weird once too.

Designed and developed by Vishva Variya. Weird ideas into code, one oddly specific experiment at a time.

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