Benedict Townsend

On the 9th of October 2012, Twitter acquired Vine for $30 million. The two sailed off into the sunset and everything went smoothly. Well, not exactly, but we'll get to that. Let's stick with Russ and the gang for now. Well, I mean, you sound quite cool about it now, but I mean, as you say, you were guys in your 20s. You've got one of the biggest companies in the world throwing money at you.

On the 9th of October 2012, Twitter acquired Vine for $30 million. The two sailed off into the sunset and everything went smoothly. Well, not exactly, but we'll get to that. Let's stick with Russ and the gang for now. Well, I mean, you sound quite cool about it now, but I mean, as you say, you were guys in your 20s. You've got one of the biggest companies in the world throwing money at you.

There must have been a bit of champagne popping or chest bumping or something going on.

There must have been a bit of champagne popping or chest bumping or something going on.

More exciting for the team was preparing Vine to launch to the global public. It had come a long way since that initial spark of an idea from Russ and Dom, but even in its early form, the app had features and design no one had ever really seen before. Stuff that would change the face of the internet forever.

More exciting for the team was preparing Vine to launch to the global public. It had come a long way since that initial spark of an idea from Russ and Dom, but even in its early form, the app had features and design no one had ever really seen before. Stuff that would change the face of the internet forever.

Yeah, definitely the first to popularize it, which is kind of crazy when you think of the ripple effect onto the world today.

Yeah, definitely the first to popularize it, which is kind of crazy when you think of the ripple effect onto the world today.

Definitely. I mean, yeah, it's one of those inventions that once you have it, you can't imagine life without it. But I mean, how many articles are written every day about how autoplay video is breaking our brains?

Definitely. I mean, yeah, it's one of those inventions that once you have it, you can't imagine life without it. But I mean, how many articles are written every day about how autoplay video is breaking our brains?

But I guess it's a Pandora's box thing, right? Like, if they didn't invent it, maybe someone else would have. I don't know how much blame you can lay at their feet. Could they have really known back then what they were unleashing? Yeah. I'm always hung up that they popularised looping video.

But I guess it's a Pandora's box thing, right? Like, if they didn't invent it, maybe someone else would have. I don't know how much blame you can lay at their feet. Could they have really known back then what they were unleashing? Yeah. I'm always hung up that they popularised looping video.

Because looping video, now it's synonymous with TikTok, but, you know, in 2013, that was basically witchcraft. You want to watch a video, you hit play, you watch it to the end, and it ends. But by removing a beginning and the end, you kind of stretch the concept of a video entirely into something else. It's not an obvious idea, necessarily.

Because looping video, now it's synonymous with TikTok, but, you know, in 2013, that was basically witchcraft. You want to watch a video, you hit play, you watch it to the end, and it ends. But by removing a beginning and the end, you kind of stretch the concept of a video entirely into something else. It's not an obvious idea, necessarily.

That's interesting because I've heard this mentioned that it's longer than six seconds, but I thought that it was longer than six to facilitate the loop, but actually it sort of, to trick the user in a positive way into making them think they've got enough time.

That's interesting because I've heard this mentioned that it's longer than six seconds, but I thought that it was longer than six to facilitate the loop, but actually it sort of, to trick the user in a positive way into making them think they've got enough time.

Remember that little tidbit for your next pub quiz? But enough shop talk. Let's jump back into the story. So Vine had money. They had the backer. And they had some very exciting features. But the team were barreling towards a launch without one crucial element. A name. It was Dom who first suggested Vine. Can you remember any of the rejected names?

Remember that little tidbit for your next pub quiz? But enough shop talk. Let's jump back into the story. So Vine had money. They had the backer. And they had some very exciting features. But the team were barreling towards a launch without one crucial element. A name. It was Dom who first suggested Vine. Can you remember any of the rejected names?

On the 23rd of January 2013, just three months after Twitter bought it out, Vine was in the greasy little palms of the public. This was make or break. I mean, what do you remember of launch day?

On the 23rd of January 2013, just three months after Twitter bought it out, Vine was in the greasy little palms of the public. This was make or break. I mean, what do you remember of launch day?