The Inspiring Story Of A High School Dropout Who Went On To Build A $105 Million Video Gaming Startup

32-year-old Josh Fabian¡¯s life is a testament to how never giving up and believing in yourself can turn fortunes around for you.

After being adopted and raised by a white couple who also fostered a rotating cast of sometimes-troubled children in Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania, USA), he used to feel isolated everywhere he went, because of his skin colour.

He says marginalization can be a powerful motivator, as per a CNBC report. Today, he¡¯s the co-founder and CEO of Pittsburgh-based Metafy, a two-year-old online platform where amateur video gamers pay for coaching sessions with some of the world¡¯s top players.

CNBC

The Life-changing Moment

Fabian was a self-taught coder. His main source of income at that time was designing small websites for about $100 per job. He decided to refine his skills with a three-month coding course in Chicago, which led to a web designer job with social marketplace startup Obaz in 2012.

Besides his six-figure salary, Fabian says he also got equity in the company. When Groupon acquired Obaz two years later, for approximately $250,000, he became more financially comfortable than ever.

¡°That was life-changing,¡± Fabian says, as per the report.

After nearly three years at Groupon, Fabian shifted his focus to another passion: gaming. Fabian regularly live-streamed his games on Twitch and posted videos on YouTube. Eventually, people requested one-on-one coaching sessions. ¡°I did it for $100 an hour,¡± says Fabian.

In six months of coaching, Fabian says he earned $40,000.

Later during the pandemic in 2020, he launched Metafy with the help of Product Club, a San Francisco-based startup accelerator run by former Tinder vice president Jeff Morris Jr. who had offered $100,000 in startup funding. The company was valued at $105 million in February 2022, as per the CNBC report.

At present, Metafy is well-funded with a reliable revenue stream: It charges a 5% fee from each student.

Since launching during the peak of Covid-19 pandemic, Metafy has attracted more than 50,000 users and thousands of coaches, including top-ranked players of popular games like ¡°League of Legends¡± and ¡°Super Smash Bros.¡± The company has raised nearly $34 million from investors.

Also Read: This 25-YO College Dropout-turned-entrepreneur Is Forbes' New Youngest Self-made Billionaire

Pittsburgh post gazette

Early Life

At the age of 16, Fabian had reportedly dropped out of high school and became a father for the first time by age 20. He and his then-girlfriend had lived off food stamps for a time, occasionally resorting to stealing diapers and other supplies for their baby, Fabian says.

¡°I remember just feeling so invisible, just feeling like I didn¡¯t fit in anywhere,¡± Fabian said, as per CNBC. ¡±[I] wanted to be significant ... to be seen as the best at something, in some way.¡± Fast forward to now, he compares his vision to tech disruptors like YouTube and Uber. ¡°I look to all those CEOs and I see them as rivals. Which is insane,¡± he says. ¡°I realize that sounds crazy, but I do.¡±

As per a Forbes story, Josh also said ¡°My kids love games, they got it from me."

Also Read: From An Author At Age 8 To Becoming A Millionaire At 11: This 14YO's Career Goals Are Never-ending

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