{
  "id": 14988167,
  "title": "Mailchimp founders bootstrap side project to $12B exit",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/mailchimp-founders-bootstrap-side-project-to-12b-exit",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-16T15:21:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/in-2001-ben-chestnut-and-dan-kurzius-built-mailchimp-as-a-side-project-inside-their-atlanta-web-design-agency-and-took-no-outside-funding-20-years-later-intuit-acquired-the-company-for-about-12-billion/articleshow/134998082.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Originating from humble beginnings, Mailchimp evolved within two decades from a small business tool to a powerhouse in the marketing industry. Launched by The Rocket Science Group's Ben Chestnut and Dan Kurzius, it caught the attention of Intuit, who acquired it for around $12 billion in 2021. With a sharp focus on customer-centric innovation and maintaining independence, Mailchimp solidified its…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}