In 2005, Ma started Hypebeast from his home in Vancouver, Canada as a sneaker blog on Blogger as part of his interest in street culture and streetwear.[12][13] Ma got the inspiration for his website from people and communities around the world, and he would take this inspiration and spread them onto his website.[6] At the time, he was a student majoring in economics and psychology,[14] and also briefly worked in banking. The site quickly became popular among street culture enthusiasts.[15]
As Hypebeast grew, Ma moved to Hong Kong and expanded it to include different aspects of street and contemporary culture, including fashion, art, music, design, and culture.[16][17][18]
Ma published the first issue of Hypebeast Magazine in June 2012.[6] Eventually, Hypebeast became a publicly listed company on the HKEX.[19][20] Ma continues to lead Hypebeast Ltd. as of 2022.[4]
Ma is known for popularizing the term hypebeast, which used to refer to a "sneakerhead" subculture associated with streetwear; however, according to Ma, "it can be anything nowadays."[21] Over the years, the word has had increasingly positive connotations for people interested in contemporary clothing and culture.[22]