Key Points

• One of these monster stocks has gained 385% in the past year.

• Another offers a growing dividend that recently yielded 6.1%.

• 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies ›

I'm about to suggest some very promising "monster" stocks you might want to hold over the coming decade. They're not all monster-ish in the same way, as you'll see, but they each have great potential to deliver a monstrously wonderful performance in the years ahead.

Read on, to see which one(s) seem like they'd be a good fit for you and your long-term portfolio.

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More »

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Palantir Technologies

Let's start with Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR), a specialist in artificial intelligence (AI) software. The most monstrous thing about it is its performance in recent years. For example, despite having sunk some 15%-plus in the past week, its average annual gain over the past three years is 165%! Over the past year, its shares have gained an incredible 385%. And year-to-date (it's only August), they've more than doubled.

That's enough to make anyone want to jump into the stock, but hold on -- because its valuation is also monstrous. Yes, if everything goes to plan, it could still serve investors well. But it's priced for perfection, and things don't always turn out perfectly. So I can't recommend buying it now, but if you already own it, you might hold -- or, to play it safer, perhaps sell part of your position to lock in those gains.

In your deliberations, know that Palantir, co-founded by Trump ally Peter Thiel, has been favored by the Trump administration and its software may be helping it collect and process data on Americans and immigrants. The U.S. military is a big customer, too.

2. DoorDash

DoorDash (NASDAQ: DASH) also sports impressive trailing returns, averaging annual gains of 56% over the past three years. It, too, has seen its valuation grow quite high, with a recent price-to-sales ratio of 9.3, well above its five-year average of 4.2.

It's been growing well and now operates in some 30 countries. Its second-quarter earnings report featured total orders growing by 20% year over year to 761 million, and revenue rising by 25%. Management noted that "...solid execution helped us make our consumer experience more personalized, attract tens of thousands of new merchant partners, and reduce average delivery times. The improvements we made over the last few years continue to compound and helped drive accelerated [year-over-year] growth in monthly active users..."

3. Nvidia

Semiconductor specialist Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) is another monster performer, averaging annual gains of 71% over the past five years and 77% over the past decade. Better still, it doesn't seem wildly overvalued, like some other growth stocks. Its recent forward-looking price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 39, for example, is on par with its five-year average -- though that number is still on the high side.

Nvidia has long been known as a gaming-chip semiconductor company, but it's gotten a lot more involved in the AI boom and it's been providing chips for data centers -- which are increasingly needed for AI and other technologies. The company has cut some deals with the Trump administration that might serve it and its shareholders well, too.

4. Altria Group

The next monster stock is perhaps an unexpected one: tobacco giant Altria (NYSE: MO). Before you hit the snooze button, know that it's up some 37% over the past year and it offers a fat dividend, recently yielding 6.1%. It's been hiking that payout, too. Its total annual payout was recently $4.08 per share, for example, up from $3.00 in 2018 and $2.17 in 2015.

This can be a great stock to buy and/or hold simply for the generous (and growing) income it provides. But it's not a stock to buy and forget. Know that smoking rates in the U.S. have fallen considerably and that doesn't bode well for Altria's future. The company has been investing in smokeless products, though, which may make up for losses in cigarettes. (It has been having success in raising prices for its offerings, too.)

5. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing

Finally, there's Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM). It's not just a giant semiconductor company -- it's a special one, because while most such companies only design chips, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing actually manufactures them. It's the biggest chip maker by far -- with a recent market share of 67.6%.

The company's growth potential is enormous, given that semiconductors are now used in all kinds of things, including cars and refrigerators -- and AI, of course. The company expects its AI accelerator revenue to double in this year alone. But some worry that the Trump administration might want to take a bite out of its business.

Give any or all of these stocks some consideration for your long-term portfolio. They might help your money grow like gangbusters.

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Selena Maranjian has positions in Altria Group, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends DoorDash, Nvidia, Palantir Technologies, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

• Uber and Tesla are offering ride-hailing trips in self-driving cars in some cities.
• Getting dinner delivered in an autonomous vehicle is a little harder, DoorDash CEO Tony Xu said.
• Robotaxis need an "end-to-end" system to make deliveries feasible, Xu said.

Don't expect a robotaxi to deliver your DoorDash order anytime soon.

Autonomous cars are already shuttling riders around some US cities thanks to a partnership between Uber and Waymo, as well as Tesla's own robotaxi offering. They function much like traditional ride-hailing trips: You request a ride through an app and then get in the car once it arrives.

Using AVs to deliver restaurant food and other goods, though, "is actually very different from doing autonomous passenger driving or robotaxis," DoorDash CEO Tony Xu said on the company's earnings call on Wednesday.

"The passenger can walk in and walk out of the car, even if the drop-off or pickup locations aren't perfect," Xu said. Deliveries, by contrast, require a more precise hand-off between the restaurant and the vehicle, requiring companies like DoorDash "to solve for the end-to-end system," he said.

"That's probably the single biggest learning we've had," Xu said on Wednesday.

In April, DoorDash said that it had started making some deliveries in Chicago and Los Angeles with wheeled robots that can navigate sidewalks designed by startup Coco Robotics. DoorDash and Coco previously worked on a pilot program using the robots to make deliveries in Finland through Wolt, DoorDash's international arm.

Xu added that DoorDash's experiments with autonomous delivery "have gone great" and that autonomous delivery is "something we're very excited about."

Riding in an autonomous vehicle is already an option for some ride-hailing users. In June, Tesla launched a limited version of its robotaxi service in Austin with Tesla safety employees in the passenger seat, and has since expanded to San Francisco with safety employees in the driver's seat.

Uber offers fully autonomous rides in Waymos in Atlanta and Austin and has plans to add more self-driving vehicles to its network next year through a partnership with EV-maker Lucid and self-driving technology startup Nuro.

For DoorDash, the challenge is moving burgers, groceries, and other stuff from stores to customers' homes. Many of those items can be delivered in smaller, autonomous vehicles, Xu has said.

"You don't need a 4,000-pound vehicle to deliver a one- or two-pound item or package," Xu said on an earnings call in May.

Do you have a story to share about gig work? Contact this reporter at [email protected] or 808-854-4501.

Justin Ferriman didn’t set out to build one of the most successful WordPress plugins of all time. In fact, he didn’t even consider himself a developer.

But with a deep background in eLearning and a sharp eye for market opportunities, he turned a gap in the WordPress ecosystem into a multi-million-dollar business.

LearnDash, the popular learning management system (LMS) plugin for WordPress, wasn’t born in a startup environment. Instead, it came from a hotel room, a blog with a signup form, and a simple idea: “What if WordPress could power online courses?”

“I was more scrappy and I knew the industry better … I was an eLearning expert, so I was able to speak the language, be more pointed in my marketing, and then also move a little bit quicker… that was a big part of why we did so well.”

Justin Ferriman – Founder of LearnDash

In this interview, Justin shares how he went from blogging about eLearning in his spare time to building a global product used by course creators, universities, and Fortune 500 companies.

His story is a masterclass in market research, consistent marketing, and paying close attention to your customers. Keep reading to learn all about it!

Video Interview with Justin Ferriman

If you’d like to check out our full interview with Justin Ferriman, you can watch it below:

Otherwise, you can use the links below to read more:

🙋 Meet Justin Ferriman: From eLearning Consultant to WordPress Founder

Before founding LearnDash, Justin Ferriman didn’t work in tech, and he definitely didn’t consider himself a developer.

His career began in the corporate eLearning world, where he helped Fortune 500 companies and U.S. government agencies build online training programs.

He first started using WordPress in college to blog about politics and religion.

Later, he tinkered with themes and plugins to build simple websites for family members.

But it wasn’t until years later that those skills and interests would come together in a meaningful way and help him achieve his dream of leaving the corporate world.

💡 Early Days: A Corporate Consultant Finds a Market Gap

Due to his background in eLearning consulting, Justin had deep insight into how organizations think about LMS tools – and what they find frustrating.

One day, after a client meeting, he started wondering if WordPress could be used to build a more flexible LMS. He searched the plugin directory, but nothing came up.

“I kind of googled WordPress LMS. I went to the plugin repo, there was nothing.”

Justin Ferriman

Sensing an opportunity, Justin started a blog in 2012 to explore the idea of building an LMS on WordPress.

The blog was mostly about trends in online education and instructional design.

During his free time, often in hotel rooms while traveling for work, Justin covered eLearning topics that were cutting edge at the time, like gamification.

And he added one important detail, a call-to-action at the top that said: “Enter your email to be notified when WP LMS releases.”

“I didn’t know if I was going to create it, but I just put this up there, and I started getting people signing up.”

Justin Ferriman

Visitors started subscribing to learn more about a piece of software that didn’t even exist yet.

First a few, then dozens, and eventually over a thousand.

“After getting like 1,000 or 1,500 people, I was like, this is something serious.”

Justin Ferriman

At WPBeginner, we’ve seen many successful founders start this way: testing an idea through consistent content and building an audience before there’s even a product.

It’s one of the smartest ways to validate demand, because you’re growing in public.

So, for Justin, the feedback was clear. People wanted what he was imagining. Now, he just had to build the first WordPress LMS.

🚀 Betting on the Idea: A Midnight Launch and Early Momentum

Encouraged by the response, Justin began outlining how the product should work. He wasn’t a developer, so he created detailed specs and hired an agency to bring the vision to life.

In January 2013, LearnDash launched at midnight.

“I launched my product at like, midnight… I woke up to thousands of dollars.”

Justin Ferriman

Still, the early days weren’t all smooth sailing.

Justin watched sales go down after the initial launch buzz. But then, on an ordinary weekday, things shifted.

“One day in March, I made $690 with no promotion. That’s when I knew – if I can do that without giving it full-time attention, imagine what could happen if I did.”

Justin Ferriman

Four months after launch, Justin left his corporate job to fully dedicate his time to growing LearnDash.

📈 Scaling Smart: Letting Go and Leveling Up

At first, Justin handled everything: marketing, support, and strategy. That hands-on approach helped him deeply understand his customers.

It also gave him direct insight into the pain points that needed fixing, both in the product and the messaging. “It created a connection between me and the customer”, Justin told us.

But over time, that level of involvement became a bottleneck. So Justin did what many solo founders struggle with – he started to delegate.

“I tell people now, hire quicker than I did.”

Justin Ferriman

Letting go of support tasks allowed him to focus on big-picture strategy, like the release of LearnDash 3.0 in 2019.

With more space to focus, he led one of LearnDash’s biggest product updates: version 3.0. This release was about more than features. Instead, it reflected a deeper understanding of how people learn online.

He introduced “Focus Mode,” a clean, immersive experience that put the learner front and center. LearnDash also made it easier for course creators to deliver structured content more efficiently.

“I wanted to know what was working in online education – not just what was trendy in WordPress.”

Justin Ferriman

The result? Soon after, LearnDash 3.0 launched alongside a reasonable price increase, resulting in a 22% revenue jump.

🧠 Unfiltered Advice: What Every WordPress Founder Should Know

For Justin Ferriman, the success of LearnDash wasn’t about perfect code. In fact, he freely admits the early versions were rough under the hood.

But that didn’t matter. What did matter was clear messaging, consistency, and building trust with customers from day one.

“Code doesn’t matter 100%… the marketing did what it was supposed to do.”

Justin Ferriman

He didn’t have the technical skills to build the plugin himself, but he understood the problem better than anyone. And he knew how to communicate the solution in a way that resonated with the user base.

“It’s easier to learn to market than it is to code,” Justin explained.

That may sound controversial, especially to seasoned developers.

But if you’re a non-technical entrepreneur with a strong idea and a deep understanding of your audience, this should be empowering.

That said, taking this approach doesn’t mean your journey will be faster or easier.

Justin blogged for nearly a year before he ever launched LearnDash. He wrote every line of sales copy himself. He personally answered emails from early users.

And most importantly, he spoke their language – something no amount of clean code could replace.

“The thing that will sell somebody is not an AI conversation – it’s the human part.”

Justin Ferriman

That human-first approach wasn’t just smart – it helped LearnDash stand out in a growing crowd of LMS tools.

In fact, the products that stand out aren’t always the ones with the most features—they’re the ones built with clarity, purpose, and a human touch.

💥 Related Post: Looking for more inspirational founder stories? Check out our interview with Tobias Bäthge.

🚚 Selling LearnDash: Lessons Learned and Knowing When to Leave

In 2021, Justin sold LearnDash to Liquid Web. The plugin was still growing, but behind the scenes, he felt a shift.

“My heart was not in it… I dreaded doing the LearnDash thing.”

Justin Ferriman

He realized that continuing without passion wasn’t fair to his team or his customers.

So, he made the decision many founders struggle with – he decided to leave.

Looking back, Justin credits that move to intuition and timing. He exited during the post-COVID eLearning spike, just before tech acquisitions began to slow down.

“I exited at a great time… but more importantly, I knew the company deserved fresh energy.”

Justin Ferriman

After stepping away, Justin explored other ideas – including a software tool called Gap Scout. But he shut it down after realizing something was missing: joy.

“It still gets signups every day,” he shared, “but I didn’t really care about AI or the software. I wasn’t passionate about the problem.”

We then asked what he would do if he had to do it all again, and what advice he would give to others. In response, he said you should make sure to choose something you’re passionate about or deeply interested in.

For him, that was eLearning, and he still stays connected to the space today, through LinkedIn and industry research.

Apart from that, Justin also now works as a business coach, sharing his valuable experience with others. He’s also taken time to slow down and enjoy life a bit more.

“I’ve kind of gotten into, like, just mindfulness and things like that… it’s easy to always be thinking ahead as an entrepreneur. But it’s important to stop.”

Justin Ferriman

He’s not done building. But he’s more selective now and focused on ideas that align with his values, strengths, and sense of purpose.

This is a stage many founders reach. Walking away isn’t a loss—it’s often where clarity, creativity, and long-term impact really begin.

👉 Related Post: Wondering about LearnDash competitors today? Check out our list of the best WordPress LMS plugins.

💭 Final Thoughts: The Power of Consistency and Vision

Justin Ferriman didn’t grow LearnDash by chasing trends or copying competitors.

He grew it by doing something that often gets overlooked: he listened, he showed up consistently, and he solved a real problem for a specific audience he knew well.

Besides choosing something you’re genuinely passionate about, one of Justin’s biggest takeaways was the power of an engaged audience.

“If you build an audience, you can build anything.”

Justin Ferriman

He wasn’t the most technical founder. But he understood his market better than anyone, and he built a product and brand that reflected that empathy.

And even after a successful exit, Justin hasn’t stopped learning. He remains active in the eLearning space, sharing insights and observations about where the industry needs to evolve.

Today, you can find him on LinkedIn, where he regularly posts about online learning, product strategy, and the realities of founder life.

If you’re building something in WordPress – or just figuring out your next move – he’s a leader worth following.

📚 Bonus: WordPress Resources for Aspiring Founders

Are you ready to build your first WordPress business? Here are some beginner’s guides and inspirational articles to help you get started:

• How to Learn WordPress for Free (Step by Step)
• Best WordPress Developer Job Sites (+ Example Job Template)
• WordPress Career Options – How to Make a Living With WordPress
• How Ben Rojas Rose From a Developer to the President of AIOSEO
• Blogger Turned WordPress VIP Partner: How WordPress Continues to Inspire Rahul Bansal
• From Freelancer to Founder: Ionut Neagu’s Journey to Building a Successful WordPress Business

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post The LearnDash Story: How Justin Ferriman Grew a Multi-Million Dollar LMS first appeared on WPBeginner.

• DoorDash asked the California Superior Court to dismiss Uber's lawsuit on Friday.
• In February, Uber accused DoorDash of inflating costs and other anti-competitive business practices.
• "Instead of competing through innovation, Uber has resorted to litigation," DoorDash says.

DoorDash wants Uber's anti-competition lawsuit tossed by the California Superior Court, saying the litigation is a "cynical and calculated scare tactic."

DoorDash filed the motion alongside a press release on Friday.

"It's disappointing behavior from a company once known for competing on the merits of its products and innovation," DoorDash, which tops the online food delivery market in the United States, wrote in the release.

Uber filed a complaint against DoorDash in February, accusing the company of anti-competitive business practices that inflated prices for restaurants and customers. The complaint said DoorDash "devised and is engaged in an unlawful scheme to stifle competition with Uber Eats, its closest rival."

Uber accused DoorDash in the complaint of leveraging restaurants' dependence on its app to secure near-exclusive or exclusive use.

"Restaurants simply cannot afford to stand up to DoorDash, and find themselves powerless to choose the service or services that are best for their businesses in the market for first-party delivery," Uber's complaint said.

Earnest Analytics reported in February that DoorDash dominated the food delivery market with a 60.7% share. Uber Eats followed at 26.1% and Grubhub at 6.3%.

DoorDash denied Uber's accusations in the motion on Friday.

Among its arguments, DoorDash said Uber is trying to "shoehorn its competition claims" by using a statute that typically applies to "disputes regarding employee non-compete provisions."

"Uber's lawsuit should be seen for what it is: sour grapes from a competitor that has been told by merchants, time and again, that they prefer working with DoorDash," the company's motion said. That's not the basis for a lawsuit — it's just fair competition. The Court should sustain DoorDash's demurrer."

Uber told Business Insider in a statement that it won't back down.

"It seems like the team at DoorDash is having a hard time understanding the content of our complaint. When restaurants are forced to choose between unfair terms or retaliation, that's not competition — it's coercion. Uber will continue to stand up for merchants and for a level playing field. We look forward to presenting the facts in court," an Uber spokesperson said.

A lawyer for DoorDash told BI, "Uber appears to be upset that they're losing in the marketplace because DoorDash has better and more innovative products, but that isn't a legitimate basis for a lawsuit."

"Uber's legal claims are meritless and should be dismissed," the lawyer said.

DoorDash isn't Uber's only legal battle this year. In April, the Federal Trade Commission sued Uber, saying the company added users to its Uber One subscription program without their consent.

The FTC said in a press release that the company "failed to deliver promised savings" and made it tough for users to cancel the service.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told Semafor on Friday that the FTC's lawsuit was a "head-scratcher."

"We make it incredibly easy to sign up for Uber One, the value is enormous, the renewal rates are over 90%. It's a great product," Khosrowshahi said. "We allow you to cancel. We allow you to pause. That one was a head-scratcher for me."