YNAB’s Origin Story
The year was 2003. A young Jesse and Julie Mecham are married, and like most newlyweds-who-are-still-college-students, they were very broke. Like, can’t-buy-a-donut-broke.
So they began tracking their (very little) money and developed a system that helped them anticipate needs and save for the future, without feeling strapped or stressed. In an attempt to generate an extra $350/month to cover their rent, Jesse asked Julie if she thought he could sell their budgeting spreadsheet and if so, what he should call it.
She said, “No,” and “You Need A Budget.” (She doesn’t mess around.)
Fast Forward 20 Years…
It’s no longer a spreadsheet. Or called a budget. Or named You Need A Budget. But, undoubtedly, YNAB has changed lives.
Here’s the story of how we have taught millions to spend, save, and give joyfully since 2004.
September 2004
Jesse launches youneedabudget.com to sell an Excel spreadsheet (Windows only!)
The OG YNAB spreadsheet
2005
Jesse writes the Four Rules.
After being told to “look busy” while working as an intern for KPMG, Jesse rewrites the sales copy on the YNAB website. It is during this revision that the Four Rules make their first appearance.
The Four Rules take off, and YNAB goes from $38.10 in profits to $1,540.15.
Website 2.0
February 2006
Taylor Brown (YNAB’s CTO) reaches out to Jesse to offer his services to have the spreadsheet import bank transactions. Jesse asks if he could make standalone software instead.
“Together, we could be a very potent force for good.” Taylor joins as a contractor and begins to work on YNAB Pro.
.avif)
Taylor’s very basic prototype register
.avif)
Taylor and Jesse
August 2006
Erin Lowell (current Education Manager) purchases the OG YNAB. She eventually becomes one of YNAB’s first employees in 2008.
Erin's purchase receipt
November 2006
YNAB Pro launches to much fanfare, nine months after Jesse’s first phone call with Taylor. Pricing starts at $39.95. Sales quadruple.
YNAB Pro
December 2006
Jesse launches the 10-Day Budget Bootcamp email course, which doubles sales.
.avif)
The website circa 2006
May 2007
YNAB Pro begins selling on Amazon.
.avif)
February 2008
Erin launches the first online class. This starts a YNAB tradition of education and free workshops.
The Education team at a meetup
June 2008
Taylor joins YNAB full-time. He and Jesse begin to brainstorm ideas for YNAB 3.
.avif)
.avif)
.avif)
Early brainstorm sketches for YNAB 3
October 2009
Sebastian Hubrich (YNAB’s current Head of Engineering) emails Jesse pitching this new-fangled thing called an iPhone app. He was already building it in his free time, so why not?
.avif)
Sebastian's prototype
November 2009
Todd Curtis (YNAB’s current CEO) emails Jesse asking to be a beta tester, wanting to gain early access to new features and provide feedback.
.avif)
Todd and Erin in 2011
December 2009
YNAB 3 launches, meeting the deadline that Jesse and Taylor announced earlier in 2009.
YNAB 3 had a split transaction feature, which set YNAB apart from competitors in 2009.
.avif)
.avif)
YNAB 3
2010
The iPhone app launches.
.avif)
A flowchart of the entire app
.avif)
The app makes Apple’s “What’s Hot” list (above Bruce Lee!)
The first Whiteboard Wednesday is released. This long-running YouTube series features 161 episodes of Jesse talking about money in simple, relatable terms.
It now serves as an unintended time capsule of YNAB’s evolution and Jesse’s early 2000s style choices.
.avif)
Jesse's first Whiteboard Wednesday
The YNAB team of five meets up in Maine. The first meet-up was hosted at Erin’s house.
.png)
The only photo taken at the retreat, and it doesn't even include Taylor (he took the picture).
May 2011
YNAB’s visual brand starts taking shape, and doodles are born.
.avif){kind=logo}
.avif){kind=logo}
Logo explorations
August 2011
The Android app launches, and work begins on YNAB 4.
.avif)
.avif)
.avif)
YNAB 4 comps
2012
YNAB’s team of ten gathers for a meetup in Lehi, Utah.
.avif)
This is in Jesse's living room
YNAB starts using YNAB to manage the company budget.
Good old YNAB 4 releases in June.
.avif)
YNAB 4
2014
Lindsey Burgess (current Chief Marketing Officer) joins YNAB as the Head of Marketing.
.avif)
Lindsey at the Costa Rica retreat in 2014
Jesse writes the first version of YNAB’s Cultural Manifesto.
The first Cultural Manifesto
The iPad app launches.
Sebastian's Slack message
December 2015
On December 30, 2015, nYNAB launches. Not only is this the biggest product release in YNAB’s history, it also marks the change to a SaaS model.
2016
YNAB’s team of 21 takes over Timber Moose Lodge in the mountains of Heber, Utah.
The team at the Heber retreat
File-based import is released and reports launch on nYNAB.
Internal file-based import announcement
Entrepreneur Magazine features YNAB and interviews Jesse about YNAB’s remote work culture.
.avif)
August 2017
The new suite of mobile apps is launched, making it possible to assign money, add bank accounts, and process transactions on the go.
.avif)
Mobile app ad circa 2017
December 2017
You Need A Budget (the book) is released.
.avif)
As if YNAB couldn’t get any cooler, we release a mixtape of finance-inspired parody songs, complete with cover art for each song parody.
.avif)
June 2018
YNAB launches the Debt Stories podcast, a series featuring real people beating debt and winning financially.
We ship our public API (lovingly named “PAPI”)
We hold a contest to celebrate
October 2018
Fortune names YNAB the #2 Best Small Company to Work For in America.
.avif)
2019
Angela Marshall (current Director of Support) joins YNAB’s executive leadership team.
.avif)
Angela (second from the left) at an escape room with members of the Support team
The YNAB team, now at 67 team members, travels to Laguna Beach for another retreat.
.avif)
Laguna Beach team photo
The team held a sand castle building competition
Jesse is named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist.
%20(1).avif)
Jesse and Taylor at the award ceremony
January 2020
Hannah launches her YouTube series "Heard It From Hannah."
Her first video walked through how to start your own Wish Farm in YNAB.
August 2020
Ben and Ernie launch Budget Nerds on YouTube.
.avif)
Screenshot from the first episode, when it started as a Youtube series
June 2020
We introduce YNAB for Good, a program to provide donated YNAB subscriptions to non-profits.
The announcement on Instagram
September 2020
With the world shut down for most of 2020, we organize our first-ever virtual retreat for our team of 133.
.avif)
Our virtual team photo
October 2020
Fortune names YNAB the #1 Best Company to Work For in America! They even write an article about us!
Of course, it’s the only year Fortune doesn’t include the list in print, so we had one of our designers make our own magazine cover.
.avif)
Our custom cover
February 2021
Jesse announces Todd Curtis as the new CEO, the biggest organizational change in YNAB’s history.
.avif)
Todd becomes CEO after 11 years at YNAB
August 2021
Fortune names YNAB as the #1 Best Small Company to Work For in America…again!
March 2022
The Certified Coaching program launches.
YNAB Together launches, allowing YNABers to share their subscription with up to five of their favorite people.
%20(1).avif)
YNAB Together invite
April 2022
We decide to trial a four-day work week (and we break Slack with our emoji reactions).
.avif)
The 4-day work week trial announcment
.avif)
September 2022
2022 brings us together in person again, finally! Our 163-member team takes over the technicolored Saguaro hotel in Palm Springs.
.webp)
Palm Springs team photo
The company gathers to watch the final rounds of the spikeball tournament
Excursion to Joshua Tree
December 2022
We host our first ever YNAB Gathering in Nashville.
Members of the Marketing team getting ready to meet YNABers in person
January 2023
Fortune names YNAB the #10 Best Workplace in Technology Among Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
October 2023
Is it blue? Is it purple? No, it’s blurple! We launch a massive brand refresh and unveil a new marketing website.
.avif)
The new home page on the YNAB site
Fortune names YNAB the #6 Best Workplace for Women Among Small and Medium-Sized Businesses.
May 2024
YNAB celebrates 20 years of growth by taking over the Chatham Bars Inn on Cape Cod.
.avif)
We held our first company Field Day
.avif)
We dressed up for a 20th Anniversary celebration
.avif)
Jesse and Taylor hold up posters signed by all YNAB employees
September 2024
We bring the 20th anniversary celebration to YNABers at our first YNAB Fan Fest in Salt Lake City.
YNABers came from all over the U.S. to celebrate
Ben and Ernie host a live Budget Nerds episode
A 20th anniversary celebration wouldn't be complete without confetti!
December 2024
Spendfulness happens.
We coin a new word for the state of awareness achieved when you align your spending with your priorities; it’s spendfulness. And it changes everything.
.avif)
Spendfulness is a state of alignment between how you spend your money and the life you want to live.