Alexis Ohanian

The more comfortable you can be in the discomfort of constant change, the better.

The more comfortable you can be in the discomfort of constant change, the better.

When we build any kind of social media platform, we are ultimately deciding what belongs and what doesn't. If you can be equipped and you can exercise those muscles around problem solving and learning, you will be at the forefront for however this technology changes things.

When we build any kind of social media platform, we are ultimately deciding what belongs and what doesn't. If you can be equipped and you can exercise those muscles around problem solving and learning, you will be at the forefront for however this technology changes things.

Thank you, Jay. That was great. Can you introduce me everywhere? Happily, happily. Let's do it. I'll record an interview. Let me bring that everywhere I go. I would love for you to do that.

Thank you, Jay. That was great. Can you introduce me everywhere? Happily, happily. Let's do it. I'll record an interview. Let me bring that everywhere I go. I would love for you to do that.

The human mind seeks community. And Reddit was noteworthy, especially in 2005, because it was pseudonymous, right? Because you didn't have to have your government name, didn't have to have your photo at a time when Zuck was building Facebook, which was very much that. And you could come together, not because you have something to say and you want people to follow you.

The human mind seeks community. And Reddit was noteworthy, especially in 2005, because it was pseudonymous, right? Because you didn't have to have your government name, didn't have to have your photo at a time when Zuck was building Facebook, which was very much that. And you could come together, not because you have something to say and you want people to follow you.

You come together around community. That is the goal. We all love Angel City FC. We joined that community. We're a part of it. We all love stapling bread to trees, which is a real subreddit. You know, everyone's got their hobbies. We all join. We post photos of the bread stapling. We talk about it. We commune. And I grew up on the internet. I learned how to code from strangers on the internet.

You come together around community. That is the goal. We all love Angel City FC. We joined that community. We're a part of it. We all love stapling bread to trees, which is a real subreddit. You know, everyone's got their hobbies. We all join. We post photos of the bread stapling. We talk about it. We commune. And I grew up on the internet. I learned how to code from strangers on the internet.

I convinced other strangers when I was a teenager

I convinced other strangers when I was a teenager

to basically pay me to build websites for them because html building websites was thing i was very keen on i just enjoyed the design i enjoyed building and it made me feel really cool to be a child on these message boards like a teenager being able to get paid by adults because i had a skill they didn't have and so i learned so much through those experiences and i learned

to basically pay me to build websites for them because html building websites was thing i was very keen on i just enjoyed the design i enjoyed building and it made me feel really cool to be a child on these message boards like a teenager being able to get paid by adults because i had a skill they didn't have and so i learned so much through those experiences and i learned

from video games, leadership skills, if you can believe it. And in building Reddit, it was simply a way to build a better type of forum that would be a better way for online community to form. And over the last now 20 years since, I look first and foremost for these things. And I think in a world increasingly more fractured and divided,

from video games, leadership skills, if you can believe it. And in building Reddit, it was simply a way to build a better type of forum that would be a better way for online community to form. And over the last now 20 years since, I look first and foremost for these things. And I think in a world increasingly more fractured and divided,

and where people spend, just frankly, more of their time online, these spaces matter even more. And it's something, for the first probably 10 years of Reddit, most people didn't think it was possible for people to care that much about their online identity as they did their offline. That was one of those things that I really held fast to, and I think today we sort of take for granted.

and where people spend, just frankly, more of their time online, these spaces matter even more. And it's something, for the first probably 10 years of Reddit, most people didn't think it was possible for people to care that much about their online identity as they did their offline. That was one of those things that I really held fast to, and I think today we sort of take for granted.

Of course, people care, in many cases, much more about their online persona than their offline one. And I just hope to see it get used for more and more good at a time when, like I said, there's more division than ever. And the power of community is still something that I think runs deep in our species. And the internet is just a new medium to connect and hopefully for good.

Of course, people care, in many cases, much more about their online persona than their offline one. And I just hope to see it get used for more and more good at a time when, like I said, there's more division than ever. And the power of community is still something that I think runs deep in our species. And the internet is just a new medium to connect and hopefully for good.