Tools

Search

Explore

Videos Channels Figures

Atmrix

About

Tools

Search

Explore

Videos Channels Figures

Atmrix

About

JC

Jason Citron

04/29/25

@ a16z speedrun

We decided to be intentional about making Discord an amazing place to work for creative people, prioritizing a good environment over just pushing people hard.

Video

as

The Untold Story of Discord: "Pivots and F*ck Ups..."

@ a16z speedrun

The Untold Story of Discord: "Pivots and F*ck Ups..."

04/29/25

Related Takeaways

JC

Jason Citron

04/29/25

@ a16z speedrun

After we fully committed to Discord, we figured out how to make it work within four weeks, demonstrating the importance of focus and conviction in a startup.

JC

Jason Citron

11/25/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

The breakthrough for Discord's growth came from inviting users to provide feedback rather than just promoting the app, which helped build a community.

JC

Jason Citron

04/29/25

@ a16z speedrun

When we pivoted to Discord, half of our team thought it was a horrible idea, and one employee even quit through a Post-it note, showing the skepticism we faced.

TP

Tom Preston-Werner

10/25/13

@ Y Combinator

The culture at GitHub was shaped by the people we hired, and it's important to codify that culture for effective communication.

JC

Jason Citron

04/29/25

@ a16z speedrun

Laying off a third of the company was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but it was necessary to focus our efforts on Discord.

JC

Jason Citron

04/29/25

@ a16z speedrun

We realized that existing communication tools like TeamSpeak and Skype were not effectively serving the gaming market, which created an opportunity for Discord.

E

EO Cast

05/09/25

@ EO

At our studio, we prioritize design work over meetings and administrative tasks, allowing our team to focus on their craft and improve their skills.

JC

Jason Citron

04/29/25

@ a16z speedrun

We realized pretty quickly that even though we focused on specific games, people were using Discord for all kinds of multiplayer gaming.

SB

Steve Ballmer

06/02/25

@ Acquired

At Microsoft, I wanted to foster an environment where teamwork meant holding each other accountable, not just being nice to one another.