9 ms·

How Alexis Ohanian Built a Front Page of the Internet

148 points by gatsby 14y ago

batista 14y ago
>"I want to stay hungry," says Alexis Ohanian. "I really believe my resources are best used to help projects that make the world suck less." I hate this kind of over-indulgence. What "resources"? He built a social news website and had a strike of luck. It's not like the guy is an Einstein or a Tesla. Or that Reddit is something bettering society. It's a glorified internet forum. Imagine how stupid things like this would sound in other industries: "I really believe my resources are best used to help projects that make the world suck less" says multi-millionaire inventor of the Post-it / Jelly+Peanut butter combo / facial hair remover...
- Aftershock21 14y ago
  they are bettering society..they have a huge NSFW content.
- timtamboy63 14y ago
  I think by 'resources' he means his money. So he wants to invest in start ups that make the world suck less. That's how I read it anyway.
- dreadsword 14y ago
  What - you aren't blown away by the philanthropic moves of "Bread Pig?" There's some interesting geeky stuff there, but the "make the world suck less" mission is perhaps overstating things a bit.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
  - notatoad 14y ago
    The story I heard was that Alexis and Steve went to PG together with a somewhat different idea, and PG suggested that they make reddit instead. Steve was the coder, and Alexis was the community manager - a fairly important job when the business is to build an online community.
    - kn0thing 14y ago
      Yep. Just like in the story. Steve built reddit, I doodled the logo and did the non-tech stuff.
      - duaneb 14y ago
        What did that entail in the early days? I only showed up a month or two before comments did and the community was already rolling at that point.
        kn0thing 14y ago
        http://spencerfry.com/whats-a-non-programmer-to-do http://spencerfry.com/whats-a-non-programmer-to-do http://generalassemb.ly/start/fundamentals-of-entrepreneurship/making-something-people-love http://generalassemb.ly/start/fundamentals-of-entrepreneursh... Oh, and ordering groceries and mocking up all kinds of zany product ideas.
- marblar 14y ago
  He was talking about money. "I want to stay hungry." -> "I'm not going to spend all this money on myself."
  - silentscope 14y ago
    He might have been in part, but he was also probably referring partly to his talents as an entrepreneur and extensive contacts through YC.
  - kn0thing 14y ago
    Yep.
- libraryatnight 14y ago
  I think I'd be lying to myself if I thought that his stroke of luck and success with Reddit didn't give him more resources than myself. He's had the good fortune to be given more resources than many people, I think it's great he is saying he wants to use them for good. Not being an Einstein or a Tesla is no reason to just fold up like a lawn chair and pack yourself away. I'm using my substantially more limited resources to do the best I can, I'm glad someone with a bit more is doing the best he can.
- nicholassmith 14y ago
  Stroke of luck can be equated to being in the right place at the right time, which is often how people rise up through the social ranks. Plus the guy built something and developed a user base that can only be described as obsessive. That's no luck, that's good talent. What have you done today?
- justin 14y ago
  Unbelievable. Alexis spends the majority of his resources (read: time, money, presence, influence) doing things that are not for profit. One big one was heavily campaigning online and offline against SOPA in December and January. SOPA not passing was definitely something good for society -- because it could have handed de facto censorship abilities to corporations. As for Reddit, as a forum for internet activism like fighting SOPA I'd argue that it is bettering society in many ways. Perhaps the majority of Reddit is cat pictures, but some parts of it can be a tremendous force for activism. "Making the world suck less" is a tongue in cheek way of saying he's not out spending his well earned millions (Reddit wasn't an overnight success; Steve and Alexis put in work to make it work) on blood diamonds and ferraris. If he wants to say that instead of "I'm spending my time on philanthropic causes" why the fuck shouldn't he?
- kn0thing 14y ago
  Take a look at the previous sentence for context: "I've tithed since the day we sold Reddit, because I believe wealth is a means to an end, and wealth has never made me happy, only comfortable. And I want to stay hungry. I really believe my resources are best used to help projects that make the world suck less." Yes, luck has had a tremendous impact in my life. Meeting Steve, getting into YC, starting reddit w Steve, breadpig has been going really well ($200K profits donated so far), and hipmunk for that matter has been going swimmingly thus far. I'd personally love to hear that a 23yr old inventor of post-it/jelly+peanutbutter combo/facial hair remover was using her resources (wealth) to make the world suck less. That'd be awesome. I don't see how that's any less awesome than an NFL 1st round draft pick or a trust fund kid doing the same thing. I'm a lucky person who wants to see more lucky people in the world.
- astrofinch 14y ago
  WTF is up with that hate for rich people who want to do worthwhile things with their wealth? You realize the vast majority of rich people just sit on it right? Maybe they would stop sitting on it if we were not so hard on the ones who made good use of it...
- danilocampos 14y ago
  For the longest time, I thought stupidity was the gravest sin. Then I discovered these Hacker News commenters and realized that middling but self-important minds are far more vexing than dumb ones.
  - RegEx 14y ago
    Snark on HN gets upvoted faster than puns on Reddit.
  - intended 14y ago
    At every step of the ladder, the gravest sin changes.
peterwwillis 14y ago
What the front page of the internet looks like today: * Image with overlayed snarky text * Another image * Another image... * The Daily Show clip * Another image * Another image * News article about Julian Assange * Another image * News article about guy doing something strange (which is actually really old) * Reddit question thread about Tarantino films * Youtube clip * "Ask Me Anything" request thread * Story on mobile technology * Reddit question thread about 'fan theories' * Article about astronomy * Youtube clip * Reddit 'arbitrary gift day' thread * Another image * Another image * Another image * Another image * Story about finding genetic defects * News article about political race * Another image * Another image Personally, I think there's something wrong with you if you don't find that list at least a little depressing.
- tylermenezes 14y ago
  You can log in and customize it. The default set of subreddits is bound to be low-quality.
  - peterwwillis 14y ago
    The idea that the default is supposed to be low-quality is depressing.
    - sneak 14y ago
      Well, at least know its name if you're going to be depressed by it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeons_Law http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeons_Law
    - wonderyak 14y ago
      There is a reason that empty content (Reality TV anyone?) is very popular. People seem to really like it. There are a great many subreddits with fantastic discussions and information; most people don't seem to want to be bothered to learn anything though.
    - dalore 14y ago
Adaptive 14y ago
We are doomed to reinvent Usenet until we finally break the cycle and improve upon it. This has all happened before and will happen again.
- debacle 14y ago
  slashdot, kuro5hin, metafilter, digg, reddit I'm sure there are many more that fit into the timeline, but they're all pretty much the same thing - an avenue for 5% of the people to have serious discussion and 95% of the people to be idiots and attention whores.
- shiftpgdn 14y ago
  If you're talking about eternal September and the decline of quality you might want to look at forums with heavy handed moderation or a paying userbase. For example the Something Awful forums have a pretty good signal to noise raito.
  - skeletonjelly 14y ago
    Metafilter et al
- planetguy 14y ago
  One day we'll discover that arguing about random crap with complete strangers via our keyboards actually isn't all that interesting, and rediscover the world outside.
  - petitmiam 14y ago
    no we won't, stranger!
- RockyMcNuts 14y ago
  Exactly! Reddit is Usenet, except good stuff flows to the top and spam is eliminated through community voting and moderation, which is an improvement and no small one either. Plus it's easier for the non-techies to create/customize subreddits with their own subculture, so it can evolve and keep people engaged. So far, Reddit has scaled far better than Usenet did.
dinkle 14y ago
As I understood it, it was Steve who built Reddit and Alexis is the guy who did everything else (like draw the logo or act as community manager in the early days). I remember Alexis giving a talk on exactly this, he emphasized the importance of letting the engineers worry about building things and not all the trivial things that might get in the way of the goal. I'm not down playing his role or achievement but we shouldn't forget Steve just because he has a smaller public profile.
- freehunter 14y ago
  Yeah, he gave a humorous, somewhat tongue-in-cheek speech to aspiring founders (the speech was pretty controversial on Reddit, for obvious reasons). Paraphrasing what he said since I can't remember the exact words, he basically told them to come up with an idea, get it funded, hire some rent-a-coders, and relax on the beach with your profits. His expressed, slightly sarcastic view of founding a web startup was to do what you do as the architect and let the construction crew do what they do. He actually made many good points, if you can sift through what his many jabs at the programmer types.
  - kn0thing 14y ago
    That was a 100% satirical talk.
- kn0thing 14y ago
  Yep. Steve & I debated just about everything (even business cards) but he actually built reddit and I did everything non-technical from logo doodles to ordering pizza. I didn't have any input in the article, but I think you'd be hard-pressed to find me writing/speaking about reddit and not also mentioning Steve in the same breath. One of my most-viewed writeups on the subject of 'why reddit won' hopefully indicates the amount of respect I have for everything Steve did: http://alexisohanian.com/how-reddit-became-reddit-the-smallest-biggest http://alexisohanian.com/how-reddit-became-reddit-the-smalle... There'd have been no reddit without him -- and it shouldn't come as a surprise that I jumped at the chance to join hipmunk a week before launch to do my part to help with its branding & marketing.
Aftershock21 14y ago
Wow my comment got deleted! Didn't know HN has censorship board.
mvid 14y ago
Alexis Ohanian built AOL?
bashour 14y ago
nice article
adrianwaj 14y ago
But has he made it to Bilderberg?
ssx 14y ago
This may be blasphemy at HN, but I see so many similarities between digg and reddit. From the power of their service to the complete adoration to their founders. Doesn't this fawning over Ohanian remind you of Kevin Rose?

148 points by gatsby 14y ago

>"I want to stay hungry," says Alexis Ohanian. "I really believe my resources are best used to help projects that make the world suck less." I hate this kind of over-indulgence. What "resources"? He built a social news website and had a strike of luck. It's not like the guy is an Einstein or a Tesla. Or that Reddit is something bettering society. It's a glorified internet forum. Imagine how stupid things like this would sound in other industries: "I really believe my resources are best used to help projects that make the world suck less" says multi-millionaire inventor of the Post-it / Jelly+Peanut butter combo / facial hair remover...

Aftershock21 14y ago
they are bettering society..they have a huge NSFW content.
timtamboy63 14y ago
I think by 'resources' he means his money. So he wants to invest in start ups that make the world suck less. That's how I read it anyway.
dreadsword 14y ago
What - you aren't blown away by the philanthropic moves of "Bread Pig?" There's some interesting geeky stuff there, but the "make the world suck less" mission is perhaps overstating things a bit.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
- notatoad 14y ago
  The story I heard was that Alexis and Steve went to PG together with a somewhat different idea, and PG suggested that they make reddit instead. Steve was the coder, and Alexis was the community manager - a fairly important job when the business is to build an online community.
  - kn0thing 14y ago
    Yep. Just like in the story. Steve built reddit, I doodled the logo and did the non-tech stuff.
    - duaneb 14y ago
      What did that entail in the early days? I only showed up a month or two before comments did and the community was already rolling at that point.
      - kn0thing 14y ago
        http://spencerfry.com/whats-a-non-programmer-to-do http://spencerfry.com/whats-a-non-programmer-to-do http://generalassemb.ly/start/fundamentals-of-entrepreneurship/making-something-people-love http://generalassemb.ly/start/fundamentals-of-entrepreneursh... Oh, and ordering groceries and mocking up all kinds of zany product ideas.
marblar 14y ago
He was talking about money. "I want to stay hungry." -> "I'm not going to spend all this money on myself."
- silentscope 14y ago
  He might have been in part, but he was also probably referring partly to his talents as an entrepreneur and extensive contacts through YC.
- kn0thing 14y ago
  Yep.
libraryatnight 14y ago
I think I'd be lying to myself if I thought that his stroke of luck and success with Reddit didn't give him more resources than myself. He's had the good fortune to be given more resources than many people, I think it's great he is saying he wants to use them for good. Not being an Einstein or a Tesla is no reason to just fold up like a lawn chair and pack yourself away. I'm using my substantially more limited resources to do the best I can, I'm glad someone with a bit more is doing the best he can.
nicholassmith 14y ago
Stroke of luck can be equated to being in the right place at the right time, which is often how people rise up through the social ranks. Plus the guy built something and developed a user base that can only be described as obsessive. That's no luck, that's good talent. What have you done today?
justin 14y ago
Unbelievable. Alexis spends the majority of his resources (read: time, money, presence, influence) doing things that are not for profit. One big one was heavily campaigning online and offline against SOPA in December and January. SOPA not passing was definitely something good for society -- because it could have handed de facto censorship abilities to corporations. As for Reddit, as a forum for internet activism like fighting SOPA I'd argue that it is bettering society in many ways. Perhaps the majority of Reddit is cat pictures, but some parts of it can be a tremendous force for activism. "Making the world suck less" is a tongue in cheek way of saying he's not out spending his well earned millions (Reddit wasn't an overnight success; Steve and Alexis put in work to make it work) on blood diamonds and ferraris. If he wants to say that instead of "I'm spending my time on philanthropic causes" why the fuck shouldn't he?
kn0thing 14y ago
Take a look at the previous sentence for context: "I've tithed since the day we sold Reddit, because I believe wealth is a means to an end, and wealth has never made me happy, only comfortable. And I want to stay hungry. I really believe my resources are best used to help projects that make the world suck less." Yes, luck has had a tremendous impact in my life. Meeting Steve, getting into YC, starting reddit w Steve, breadpig has been going really well ($200K profits donated so far), and hipmunk for that matter has been going swimmingly thus far. I'd personally love to hear that a 23yr old inventor of post-it/jelly+peanutbutter combo/facial hair remover was using her resources (wealth) to make the world suck less. That'd be awesome. I don't see how that's any less awesome than an NFL 1st round draft pick or a trust fund kid doing the same thing. I'm a lucky person who wants to see more lucky people in the world.
astrofinch 14y ago
WTF is up with that hate for rich people who want to do worthwhile things with their wealth? You realize the vast majority of rich people just sit on it right? Maybe they would stop sitting on it if we were not so hard on the ones who made good use of it...
danilocampos 14y ago
For the longest time, I thought stupidity was the gravest sin. Then I discovered these Hacker News commenters and realized that middling but self-important minds are far more vexing than dumb ones.
- RegEx 14y ago
  Snark on HN gets upvoted faster than puns on Reddit.
- intended 14y ago
  At every step of the ladder, the gravest sin changes.

peterwwillis 14y ago

What the front page of the internet looks like today: * Image with overlayed snarky text * Another image * Another image... * The Daily Show clip * Another image * Another image * News article about Julian Assange * Another image * News article about guy doing something strange (which is actually really old) * Reddit question thread about Tarantino films * Youtube clip * "Ask Me Anything" request thread * Story on mobile technology * Reddit question thread about 'fan theories' * Article about astronomy * Youtube clip * Reddit 'arbitrary gift day' thread * Another image * Another image * Another image * Another image * Story about finding genetic defects * News article about political race * Another image * Another image Personally, I think there's something wrong with you if you don't find that list at least a little depressing.

tylermenezes 14y ago
You can log in and customize it. The default set of subreddits is bound to be low-quality.
- peterwwillis 14y ago
  The idea that the default is supposed to be low-quality is depressing.
  - sneak 14y ago
    Well, at least know its name if you're going to be depressed by it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeons_Law http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeons_Law
  - wonderyak 14y ago
    There is a reason that empty content (Reality TV anyone?) is very popular. People seem to really like it. There are a great many subreddits with fantastic discussions and information; most people don't seem to want to be bothered to learn anything though.
  - dalore 14y ago

Adaptive 14y ago

We are doomed to reinvent Usenet until we finally break the cycle and improve upon it. This has all happened before and will happen again.

debacle 14y ago
slashdot, kuro5hin, metafilter, digg, reddit I'm sure there are many more that fit into the timeline, but they're all pretty much the same thing - an avenue for 5% of the people to have serious discussion and 95% of the people to be idiots and attention whores.
shiftpgdn 14y ago
If you're talking about eternal September and the decline of quality you might want to look at forums with heavy handed moderation or a paying userbase. For example the Something Awful forums have a pretty good signal to noise raito.
- skeletonjelly 14y ago
  Metafilter et al
planetguy 14y ago
One day we'll discover that arguing about random crap with complete strangers via our keyboards actually isn't all that interesting, and rediscover the world outside.
- petitmiam 14y ago
  no we won't, stranger!
RockyMcNuts 14y ago
Exactly! Reddit is Usenet, except good stuff flows to the top and spam is eliminated through community voting and moderation, which is an improvement and no small one either. Plus it's easier for the non-techies to create/customize subreddits with their own subculture, so it can evolve and keep people engaged. So far, Reddit has scaled far better than Usenet did.

dinkle 14y ago

As I understood it, it was Steve who built Reddit and Alexis is the guy who did everything else (like draw the logo or act as community manager in the early days). I remember Alexis giving a talk on exactly this, he emphasized the importance of letting the engineers worry about building things and not all the trivial things that might get in the way of the goal. I'm not down playing his role or achievement but we shouldn't forget Steve just because he has a smaller public profile.

freehunter 14y ago
Yeah, he gave a humorous, somewhat tongue-in-cheek speech to aspiring founders (the speech was pretty controversial on Reddit, for obvious reasons). Paraphrasing what he said since I can't remember the exact words, he basically told them to come up with an idea, get it funded, hire some rent-a-coders, and relax on the beach with your profits. His expressed, slightly sarcastic view of founding a web startup was to do what you do as the architect and let the construction crew do what they do. He actually made many good points, if you can sift through what his many jabs at the programmer types.
- kn0thing 14y ago
  That was a 100% satirical talk.
kn0thing 14y ago
Yep. Steve & I debated just about everything (even business cards) but he actually built reddit and I did everything non-technical from logo doodles to ordering pizza. I didn't have any input in the article, but I think you'd be hard-pressed to find me writing/speaking about reddit and not also mentioning Steve in the same breath. One of my most-viewed writeups on the subject of 'why reddit won' hopefully indicates the amount of respect I have for everything Steve did: http://alexisohanian.com/how-reddit-became-reddit-the-smallest-biggest http://alexisohanian.com/how-reddit-became-reddit-the-smalle... There'd have been no reddit without him -- and it shouldn't come as a surprise that I jumped at the chance to join hipmunk a week before launch to do my part to help with its branding & marketing.

Aftershock21 14y ago

Wow my comment got deleted! Didn't know HN has censorship board.

mvid 14y ago

Alexis Ohanian built AOL?

bashour 14y ago

nice article

adrianwaj 14y ago

But has he made it to Bilderberg?

ssx 14y ago

This may be blasphemy at HN, but I see so many similarities between digg and reddit. From the power of their service to the complete adoration to their founders. Doesn't this fawning over Ohanian remind you of Kevin Rose?