What is the history of Discord?
The History of Discord
💻Technology
Featured Chapters
The Genesis of Discord
00:00:05 - 00:00:08
From Gaming Studio to Chat Platform
00:00:22 - 00:00:25
Discord's Launch and Early Growth
00:00:40 - 00:00:43
Features and Services
00:00:50 - 00:00:54
Discord's Rise to Popularity
00:01:10 - 00:01:14
Discord's Financial Success
00:01:29 - 00:01:32
Challenges and Adaptations
00:01:43 - 00:01:47
Looking Ahead
00:02:15 - 00:02:19
Sources
Discord | History, Features, & Facts | Britannica
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Di...
How Discord Went From Gaming to Everything - The Story of a $15B App
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-...
Discord - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disco...
The Complete History Of The Discord Logo - Hatchwise
https://www.hatchwise.com/resources...
nytimes.com
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/29/...
Background Music: "SPACE" prod. Metzmusic
Transcript
Welcome to the history of Discord, a platform that has revolutionized online communication. Let's dive into its origins and see how it became the powerhouse it is today.
Discord was founded by Stanislav Vishnevskiy and Jason Citron, a duo with a background in gaming.
Citron had previously founded OpenFeint, a mobile gaming company he sold in 2011 for a whopping $104 million.
The idea for Discord sprouted from a gaming studio run by Citron and Vishnevskiy.
They were developing a tablet-based multiplayer game with an inbuilt voice function for communication.
They realized the chat feature was the most engaging aspect of their game, leading them to focus on building it into a standalone product.
Discord was officially founded in May 2015, initially designed for gamers.
A beta version was released publicly in 2015, leveraging Citron's experience with mobile gaming applications.
Discord offers a suite of features, all free to use.
These include real-time text and voice chat, streaming video, and VoIP communication.
The platform is built around servers, dedicated social hubs accessible by invitation only.
Servers are customizable, allowing administrators to tailor features and create a unique community experience.
Initially popular among gamers, Discord's user base exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It provided a vital connection for people isolated during lockdowns, fostering a sense of community.
Even after lockdowns eased, Discord continued to thrive, attracting artists, content creators, educators, businesses, and individuals from all walks of life.
By 2023, Discord boasted over 140 million active monthly users, with an estimated 26.5 million daily users.
The platform generated $220 million in revenue in 2022, and its valuation reached $15 billion.
Despite its consistent revenue, Discord has yet to turn a profit.
In January 2024, Discord faced a setback, laying off nearly 20% of its workforce.
The company attributed this to rapid expansion in previous years.
Discord had long resisted introducing ads, but in April 2024, they began adding sponsored content, allowing users to complete 'sponsored quests' while watching streams.
"Discord in the gaming community" was the problem they wished to solve. Jason Citron, 2015.
"At the time, we had barely half a dozen users. It wasn't evident that it would succeed." Jason Citron, 2015.
Discord's journey is far from over. As it navigates the evolving landscape of online communication, it will be interesting to see how it adapts and continues to shape the way we connect.
Discord was founded by Stanislav Vishnevskiy and Jason Citron, a duo with a background in gaming.
Citron had previously founded OpenFeint, a mobile gaming company he sold in 2011 for a whopping $104 million.
The idea for Discord sprouted from a gaming studio run by Citron and Vishnevskiy.
They were developing a tablet-based multiplayer game with an inbuilt voice function for communication.
They realized the chat feature was the most engaging aspect of their game, leading them to focus on building it into a standalone product.
Discord was officially founded in May 2015, initially designed for gamers.
A beta version was released publicly in 2015, leveraging Citron's experience with mobile gaming applications.
Discord offers a suite of features, all free to use.
These include real-time text and voice chat, streaming video, and VoIP communication.
The platform is built around servers, dedicated social hubs accessible by invitation only.
Servers are customizable, allowing administrators to tailor features and create a unique community experience.
Initially popular among gamers, Discord's user base exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It provided a vital connection for people isolated during lockdowns, fostering a sense of community.
Even after lockdowns eased, Discord continued to thrive, attracting artists, content creators, educators, businesses, and individuals from all walks of life.
By 2023, Discord boasted over 140 million active monthly users, with an estimated 26.5 million daily users.
The platform generated $220 million in revenue in 2022, and its valuation reached $15 billion.
Despite its consistent revenue, Discord has yet to turn a profit.
In January 2024, Discord faced a setback, laying off nearly 20% of its workforce.
The company attributed this to rapid expansion in previous years.
Discord had long resisted introducing ads, but in April 2024, they began adding sponsored content, allowing users to complete 'sponsored quests' while watching streams.
"Discord in the gaming community" was the problem they wished to solve. Jason Citron, 2015.
"At the time, we had barely half a dozen users. It wasn't evident that it would succeed." Jason Citron, 2015.
Discord's journey is far from over. As it navigates the evolving landscape of online communication, it will be interesting to see how it adapts and continues to shape the way we connect.