Twenty years ago, Jesse Mecham created a teensy spreadsheet to help make rent and graduate college debt-free. That little side project sparked something much bigger: a global movement, challenging centuries of financial misconceptions and transforming money from a necessary evil into an opportunity to express who you are and who you want to become. Well, we’re getting there.
It sparked YNAB: an app and community where people love how they spend and see money as a reflection of what truly matters.
To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we’re looking back at the surprising moments that have shaped YNAB into what it is today. We’re not just 20 years young—we’re 20 years strong, with a fan base that’s grown with us every step of the way.
I sat down with Erin, one of YNAB’s veteran teachers, to dig up 20 little-known facts from our last two decades, which somehow feel both weirdly long and shockingly short. (Wait, wasn’t 20 years ago 1980?)
From the start of team board game nights to Jesse’s infamous mortgage haircut, these moments give you a peek behind the curtain at what makes YNAB… YNAB. So, grab a comfy seat and maybe a Wine Hamburger (it’ll make sense soon)—here are a handful of facts you probably didn’t know about YNAB.
Even die-hard YNABers (looking at you with the personalized license plates and tattoos) are bound to learn something new.
Did You Know?
1. Our first sale was… a refund. Nailed it!
Our very first sale went to a Mac user—except YNAB didn’t work on Mac at the time. Jesse had to issue a refund almost immediately. A rough start, but it sparked the drive to make the original YNAB spreadsheet work for everyone.
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2. Jesse wasn’t the first full-time hire
You’d think the founder would be the first full-time employee, right? Actually, Taylor Brown, our Technology Fellow, was YNAB’s first full-time hire. Jesse waited his turn!
3. YNAB Pro was built without a single in-person meeting
When Jesse and Taylor built the first software version (YNAB Pro), they did it all through emails and phone calls. A lot of emails. And a lot of phone calls. They hadn’t even met in person yet—a true remote work classic before remote working was even a thing.
4. The Four Rules were re-mixed at first
YNAB’s Four Rules weren’t always in their current order. Rule Four used to be Rule One, and everything else was shuffled too. But after a few tweaks, we found a lineup that has served us well.
5. Jesse’s first marketing campaign was hyper local
When Jesse started to realize he was onto something with YNAB, it was time for a marketing push. He printed out posters and taped them up on every floor of every building in his and Julie’s apartment complex. Grassroots marketing at its finest!
6. Costa Rica kicked off our board game tradition
In 2014, we held a team retreat in Costa Rica. Sounds like a beachy dream, right? Turns out, we spent more time playing board games in the hotel lobby than lounging by the ocean. It was the start of a now-legendary team tradition.
7. YNAB is part of employee benefits packages far and wide
The YNAB team realized that money stress isn’t really part of our lives… because we all use YNAB. In 2021, we started working with employers to offer YNAB in their company benefits packages. We love seeing teams ’round the world enjoy less money stress and bring their best selves to work.
8. Jesse accidentally took the app down
Jesse once decided to switch the name servers for YNAB himself. Bad idea. The whole app went down. After that, we made sure Jesse no longer had access to the name servers. Crisis averted.
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9. Hannah’s first video and the birth of Budget Nerds
Hannah’s first video for YNAB debuted on January 31, 2020, where she introduced the Wish Farm. Later that year, Budget Nerds premiered on August 24th with an episode about monthly rollovers. Our nerdiness and YouTube-ness has only grown from there.
10. The YNAB house (and Perk the cat)
In 2015, YNAB bought a house in Lehi, Utah, known as “The YNAB House.” Jesse and the HR team worked there—and so did Perk, a cat they adopted. Why Perk? He was our “work perk,” of course. He’s now living his best life with one of our Operations team members.
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11. Four-day work week, anyone?
In 2022, YNAB adopted a four-day work week. The result? More balance, more focus, and more time for those epic board games. YNAB has been listed as the #1 Best Small Workplace in Fortune’s Top Places to Work, not because YNAB is your life, but precisely because it’s not. Turns out, we’re just as productive (and way more recharged).
12. We love surprising our team
YNAB doesn’t skimp on gifts. Birthdays and big life events are celebrated with thoughtful, personalized surprises. We believe it’s the little things that make people feel appreciated.
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13. Jesse’s mortgage haircut challenge
If you’ve watched Whiteboard Wednesday videos from the yesteryear days of YNAB, you might’ve noticed Jesse’s hair getting longer and longer. That’s because he vowed not to cut it until he paid off his mortgage. By episode 65, the mortgage was gone—and so was his hair. This before and after pic is about to go viral, I can feel it.
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14. Our first mobile app was iPhone-only
Our very first mobile app? Only available on iPhone. Why? We didn’t have any Android developers at the time. Start simple, keep improving—that’s the YNAB way.
15. A global team of YNAB enthusiasts
YNAB has come a long way since Jesse’s first spreadsheet. Today, we have 142 U.S.-based employees and 35 international team members spread across 12 countries. One more number to throw at you: a whopping 65 of our team members share a name. (Myself being among four Emily’s at YNAB, enough to create an “Emily Bus” emoji.)
16. “Wine Hamburgers”—yes, please.
Closed captions don’t always get “YNAB” and “YNABers” right—in fact, they often interpret our lingo as “Wine Abs” and “Wine Hamburgers.” Naturally, our community embraced it. And of course, we made merch. (Try explaining a Wine Hamburger t-shirt to the stranger at the grocery store.)
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17. Julie named YNAB
The name You Need a Budget? That was Jesse’s wife, Julie’s, idea. Jesse was stuck on what to call his spreadsheet when Julie simply suggested, “How about ‘You need a budget’?” And just like that, YNAB was born.
18. April Fool’s shenanigans
YNAB loves a good April Fool’s prank. From Push Notifications to Buy Now, Pay Later to YNAB for Pets and even AI, we’ve had plenty of laughs. But Jesse’s 2015 prank, where he pretended to change Rule Two to “Divide by Twelve,” caused more than a few confused faces.
19. Our college program has given away almost 100,000 years of YNAB
Through our college program, we’ve given away nearly 100,000 free years of YNAB to students. That’s a whole lot of future financial freedom being built on campuses, and a lot of pizza being prioritized in the ol’ spending plan.
20. We even made a YNAB team cookbook
The YNAB team put together a cookbook featuring our favorite recipes. Oh, and bonus fun fact? We rewrote an entire playlist worth of popular songs and made them songs about money. Because good food and singing songs about spending on what you love? It’s the spice of life.
So there you have it. Twenty facts for 20 years—and we have you, dear YNABers, to thank for this incredible journey we’re on.
Here’s to the next many moons of masterful money decisions, team traditions, and plenty more Wine Hamburgers along the way. Nom nom nom.
The day you start YNABing is a day worth celebrating in its own right. Get 34 days for free with nothing to lose. Plus, you’ll finally get to see what all the fuss is about.
