A group of CERN scientists—with no business experience—decided to take on companies like Google and Apple. Their idea? Build privacy-first products, then charge people for something they’ve always gotten for free. Sounds insane, right? But fast forward ten years, and Proton isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving. Over 100 million Proton accounts, hundreds of employees, and a profitable business, all without any money from venture capital.
One of Proton’s secrets is a strong mission that mattered. In a world where companies are increasingly collecting our data, Proton offered shelter. Their products — like Proton Mail and Proton VPN — don’t just promise security, they deliver it. The foundation is end-to-end encryption, so not even Proton could access user data. Privacy wasn’t a feature; it was the bedrock. And that resonated.
Unlike most tech startups, Proton wasn’t chasing the whims of venture capital firms. They were crowdfunded by users, which meant they answered to them, not investors. It’s like building a house with the community, instead of for a landlord. Take their Encryption Key Transparency project. It’s not flashy, won’t directly boost revenue, but it ensures users can trust that their encryption is legit. In any other company, that’s a hard sell. At Proton, that’s the point.
Proton has also been radically transparent. Most companies build their tech behind locked doors, but Proton flung them wide open. Their products are open source, meaning anyone can look under the hood. This is important to build user trust and give people conviction that their data is secure with Proton.
And despite the odds, Proton is growing. They’ve expanded into Proton Drive and Proton Calendar, sticking to the same formula: privacy first. Big Tech, with all their free services, loomed like giants. But Proton found a niche, proving that privacy is something people are willing to pay for when the alternative is a loss of control over their own data.
Proton is a reminder that you don’t have to play by Silicon Valley’s rules to succeed. Sometimes, it’s better to do what’s right, even if it’s hard.