At Justin.tv, we initially built a product based on our own experiences, which limited our understanding of broader user needs and use cases.

After launching Justin.tv, we quickly realized that while we gained initial excitement and media coverage, we struggled with viewer retention and decided to pivot to a tech company that opened the platform for everyone instead of trying to create entertainment ourselves.

Twitch began as Justin TV, where my co-founder Justin streamed 24/7 with just one camera. The initial version had no video games and was very basic, but it was a starting point for the platform.

The Justin.tv founders faced a critical situation when their video system went down, and they had to find a way to contact their missing team member quickly.

We eventually opened the Justin TV platform to everyone, allowing anyone to broadcast live video, which was a shift back to our technological roots. We had a failed project and startup, but instead of giving up, we decided to repurpose our efforts and keep going.

To pivot Justin.tv, we realized we needed to talk to users to identify valuable use cases and directions for growth, particularly in gaming.

The initial idea for Justin.tv emerged from discussions about what to do with Yahoo, leading to the unconventional decision to live stream their lives, which eventually evolved into a platform for others.

At Justin.tv, the relationship with users improved significantly when the founders started talking directly to streamers, asking them what they needed instead of relying on surveys or reports.

The founders of Justin.tv went on to create successful companies, with Emmett Shear becoming the CEO of Twitch, which is now estimated to be worth around twenty billion dollars.