--- title: "Robert Nikic: My First Company at 13" description: "Robert Nikic on starting a small hosting company out of his closet at 13, the failed startups that followed and why he got into business by necessity." canonical: "https://robertnikic.com/blog/robert-nikic-my-first-company-at-13" author: "Robert Nikic" type: "Article" published: "2026-10-23T16:00:00.000Z" updated: "2026-10-23T18:35:57.750000" --- # Robert Nikic: My First Company at 13 Robert Nikic on starting a small hosting company out of his closet at 13, the failed startups that followed and why he got into business by necessity. **In short:** I started a small hosting company out of my closet when I was 13. It didn't last, and neither did the next several. I got into business because my family needed me to, not because it looked exciting. This is the timeline of how that early start shaped everything after. I was 13. What did I know? I started a little hosting company anyway. [Watch: Robert Nikic on starting his first company at 13](/media/my-first-company-at-13) ### The timeline #### Before 13: starting from nothing My family came from the Balkan war. We immigrated to Germany, then to the United States. I was the oldest sibling in the house, and my parents didn't speak English. I was the first in the family to learn it. So a lot fell on me early. **Lesson:** responsibility shows up before you're ready for it. You either step up or you don't. #### Age 13: the hosting company I ran a small web hosting business out of my closet. Web hosting means renting out server space so other people's websites can live on the internet ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_hosting_service)). For a kid, it was a way to sell something real online with almost no money. **Lesson:** you can start before you know what you're doing. You learn by having customers. #### High school: front desk and waiting tables In high school, I worked the front desk at a hotel and waited tables. Watching investors check in at that front desk planted an idea I'd use for years: let the people with money show you which products already work. **Lesson:** every job teaches you something about business if you're watching. #### Teens and early 20s: failure after failure After the hosting company came a long run of failed startups. I kept failing and failing, and nothing worked, plain and simple. When I look back now, the timing often wasn't right. At the time, it really tore me down, because my family relied on me. **Lesson:** a failed startup isn't a failed person. Timing matters more than most people admit. #### 2011–2026: building and leading a company I founded and led a company from 2011 to 2026, then stepped away from operating roles. It was built on everything the earlier failures taught me: sell what the market already wants, know your suppliers, and use every problem to fix the system. **Lesson:** the early failures weren't wasted. They were the training. #### Today: advisory work and speaking Today I'm an advisor on innovation and economic growth to an international council working on SDG 8 & 9. I've given TEDx talks on second chances and on how to use failure. I spend most of my time on the basic systems small businesses need: getting paid, getting supplies, getting through the paperwork. **Lesson:** the problems you struggle with early often become the problems you spend your life working on. ### Why did I keep going? Because I had to. My family came from nothing and relied on me. The only reason I got into startups, or entrepreneurship at all, is because I had to, not because I really wanted to. That changes how you handle failure. When quitting isn't an option, you stop asking whether to keep going and start asking how. ### What does a 13-year-old learn from a hosting company? More than you'd think: - **Customers expect things to work.** If a site goes down, someone's upset, and it's your job. - **Money comes in and goes out.** Bills arrive whether or not customers pay on time. - **Small is fine.** You don't need a big launch to start a real business. ### What would I tell a teenager who wants to start now? - **Start small.** A tiny business with real customers teaches more than any course. - **Expect to fail more than once.** It's normal, not a sign you should stop. - **Keep the lessons, not the losses.** Write down what you learned from each attempt. - **Don't risk money you can't lose.** The cost of failing is lowest when you're young, so keep it that way. - **Get a job too.** Working for someone else teaches you how businesses actually run. The survival numbers are humbling at any age. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show only about a third of business establishments started in 2013 were still operating ten years later ([BLS](https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2024/34-7-percent-of-business-establishments-born-in-2013-were-still-operating-in-2023.htm)). Starting young gives you more time to learn from the ones that don't make it. ▸ **How that early start connects to today** Those failed startups are why my work today focuses on the basics. I didn't fail because every idea was bad. I failed because the basics were hard to reach. SDG target 8.6 calls for substantially reducing the share of young people not in employment, education or training ([UN](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal8)). Making it cheaper and simpler for a young person to start something small, and to fail safely, is one of the best ways I know to get there. ### FAQ: Robert Nikic's first company **What was Robert Nikic's first company?** A small web hosting business he started out of his closet at 13. **Why did Robert Nikic become an entrepreneur?** Out of necessity. His family immigrated after the Balkan war, his parents didn't speak English, and as the oldest child, a lot of responsibility fell on him. **Did Robert Nikic's early startups succeed?** No. He's said openly that he had many failed startups before building a lasting company. **My first company didn't work. It's the reason the later ones did.** #### How did Robert Nikic get started in business? Robert Nikic started a small hosting company out of his closet at 13, worked hotel and restaurant jobs in high school, and went through many failed startups before founding and leading a company from 2011 to 2026. He got into business because his family needed him to. **Related reading:** [Where Is Robert Nikic From? Why I Don't Have an Accent](/blog/where-is-robert-nikic-from-why-i-dont-have-an-accent) · [Robert Nikic: Why I Talk About My Failures Publicly](/blog/robert-nikic-why-i-talk-about-my-failures-publicly) · [Robert Nikic: Should You Become an Entrepreneur?](/blog/robert-nikic-should-you-become-an-entrepreneur) · [Robert Nikic Biography](/blog/biography)