Reddit combined elements of social bookmarking from Delicious and community engagement from Slashdot, creating a unique platform that had never been seen before.

Condé Nast acquired Reddit for $10 million, presenting a crucial decision for the founders: to sell to an established media company or gamble on Reddit's potential as part of the internet's future.

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.

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 acquisition by Condé Nast in 2006 was a crucible moment for Reddit, providing liquidity but also revealing the differing priorities of team members after the acquisition.

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.

In 2006, major tech companies like Google and Yahoo began expressing interest in acquiring Reddit, highlighting its growing presence in the online space.

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.

Reddit was founded in 2005 by college roommates Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian, initially as a mobile food ordering app idea, but it evolved into a platform for sharing and discussing topics.