The team decided not to change anything about Reddit because they didn't understand how it worked, fearing that changes might break it. However, I told them that if we don't change, we're dead, and that's why I'm here—to save Reddit.

We made mistakes in defining our content policy, but enforcing it ultimately improved the platform and set us on a path to recovery.

Reddit needed a content policy to address the issues of banning subreddits and managing content effectively, as prior to that, there was no clear guideline.

With my return, we redesigned the site, moved Reddit onto mobile, and focused on building a sustainable business model.

Returning to Reddit in 2015 was the hardest decision I've ever made, as I had to leave Hipmunk, but I felt a strong responsibility to help the company I co-founded. Reddit is more important to the world than many realize, and it would be a shame if it didn't live up to its potential.

At that time, there wasn't a clear monetization route for Reddit; we didn't have advertising or any real way to generate revenue, so we operated as a lean startup to survive with scarce resources.

The first content policy was like a convention center where various communities could gather, but we had to draw a line against harmful content.

From 2012 to 2015, Reddit faced multiple crises, including issues with toxic subreddits and a lack of a clear content policy, leading to community dissatisfaction.

We need to own our decisions in content moderation and not defer too much to external pressures, as we are responsible for the systems we build and their impacts.