Weird Facts About Tech Companies You Didn’t Know

Weird Facts About Tech Companies You Didn’t Know

Behind the sleek logos, billion-dollar valuations, and glossy product launches, the world’s biggest tech companies hide a treasure trove of bizarre stories, strange habits, and unexpected beginnings. These are the same companies shaping how we live, work, and think—yet their journeys are filled with odd twists that even their most loyal users have never heard of.

One weird fact is that Google was almost called “Backrub.” When Larry Page and Sergey Brin first created their search engine in the 1990s, it analyzed the “backlinks” between websites to determine importance. Hence, the name “Backrub.” Thankfully, they switched to “Google,” a playful twist on “googol”—the number 1 followed by 100 zeros. Imagine saying, “Let me Backrub that” instead of “Let me Google it.”

Another strange one: Apple’s first computer was sold without a case. When Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak built the Apple I in a garage, they sold it as just a motherboard—no screen, no keyboard, no casing. Buyers had to find their own parts. Yet, that humble, bare circuit board would later inspire an empire worth trillions.

And speaking of Apple—did you know it once launched its own clothing line? In the 1980s, Apple tried to ride the fashion wave with “The Apple Collection,” featuring rainbow-logo t-shirts, belts, and even sailing gear. The idea failed, but it remains one of the strangest moments in tech-fashion history.

Then there’s Amazon, which started as an online bookstore and almost went by the name “Cadabra” (from “abracadabra”). Jeff Bezos dropped the idea after a lawyer misheard it as “cadaver.” Bezos eventually picked “Amazon” because it started with “A” (helpful in alphabetical listings) and symbolized something vast and unstoppable—just like his vision.

Facebook, too, has its quirks. For instance, the company’s signature blue color scheme isn’t just an aesthetic choice—it’s because founder Mark Zuckerberg is red-green colorblind. Blue is the color he sees best. So, the next time you scroll through your blue-themed timeline, you’re literally seeing the world through Zuckerberg’s eyes.

Meanwhile, Samsung—now famous for phones and TVs—started in 1938 as a grocery trading company in Korea. It sold dried fish, noodles, and fruits before shifting to electronics decades later. And Nokia, before making mobile phones, actually produced rubber boots and toilet paper. From rubber soles to smartphones—talk about an unexpected evolution.

Here’s another fun twist: YouTube began as a dating site. Yes! Its original concept in 2005 was for users to upload videos describing their ideal partners. When that didn’t work out, the founders noticed people were uploading all sorts of videos instead—and the rest is digital history.

Even Microsoft isn’t exempt from oddities. In 1994, the company bought 1,500 copies of the Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up” to use in a Windows 95 campaign. The cost? A rumored $3 million just for that one song. That’s one very expensive startup sound.

And for one of the strangest facts of all—Google rents goats. To keep the grass trimmed at its California headquarters, the company hires a herd of goats from a local farmer instead of using lawnmowers. It’s their eco-friendly way of handling landscaping—plus, it makes the Google campus look adorably weird.

From selling fish to launching dating sites, renting goats, and experimenting with clothes, these companies prove that even the giants of tech didn’t start out sleek and polished. Behind every innovation lies a story that’s messy, human, and delightfully strange.

In the end, these weird facts remind us that creativity often begins with chaos—and that the quirkiest beginnings can lead to world-changing innovations.