Discord CEO Jason Citron makes the case for a smaller, more private internet
Apr 22, 2024
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Jason Citron, Co-founder and CEO of Discord, dives into the platform's evolution from a gaming tool to a vibrant social hub. He discusses the importance of intimate online spaces, contrasting them with traditional public platforms. Jason emphasizes Discord's unique approach to user engagement, balancing privacy with safety, especially for younger users. The conversation also touches on the challenges of moderation, copyright issues, and innovative revenue strategies, showcasing how Discord aims to reshape online interactions.
Discord prioritizes creating intimate online spaces for users to bond over shared interests.
Discord's organizational structure focuses on functional divisions to drive innovation and user-centric development.
Discord's decision-making framework emphasizes customer-centricity, innovation, and long-term sustainability.
Deep dives
Focus on Gaming and Cozy Spaces
Discord's CEO talks about Discord's primary focus on gaming as a core use case, highlighting the significant time users spend playing games on Discord. With over 1.5 billion hours spent playing games on Discord monthly, the platform has become a central hub for social gaming interactions. By emphasizing smaller, cozy spaces for users to communicate and bond with friends in a relaxed setting, Discord aims to create intimate online environments away from the performative nature of traditional social media platforms.
Functional Company Structure and Foundational Initiatives
Discord's company structure revolves around functional organization, including engineering, product management, marketing, finance, and talent. It focuses on three core initiatives: foundational efforts like performance and trust and safety features, core priorities such as quests and embedded activities, and innovative ventures led by a six-person team conceptualizing cutting-edge solutions. This structure enables coordinated development while fostering creativity and innovation within a user-centric paradigm.
Decision-Making Framework
Discord's decision-making framework revolves around customer-centricity, passion for innovation, and long-term business sustainability. The CEO emphasizes prioritizing customer needs and satisfaction as the primary driver for decision-making, aligning with Discord's vision to continuously enhance user experience and service offerings. Balancing customer interests with business goals and personal excitement for projects guides Discord in navigating complexities and ensuring strategic alignment with evolving user demands.
Decision-Making Process and Autonomy
The podcast episode delves into the decision-making process within the company, highlighting the importance of balancing data-driven insights with individual judgment. It discusses the strategy of assigning ownership to specific individuals for decision-making, allowing them to gather insights and collaborate before reaching a conclusion. The CEO mentions holding a veto power but prefers to engage in collaborative decision-making to foster autonomy and teamwork. The episode further explores a significant decision in 2021 where the company chose not to sell to Microsoft, emphasizing the focus on customer needs, shareholder interests, and internal team alignment.
Revenue Streams and Safety Measures
The discussion shifts towards revenue streams, particularly focusing on the success of the Nitro subscription service and the introduction of avatar decorations in partnership with Valorant. The CEO highlights the positive reception from users and the potential for sponsored quests to support game developers. The episode also touches on the introduction of gamified ads within Quest and the revenue opportunities they present. Furthermore, the podcast delves into the company's commitment to prioritizing teen safety through features like Teen Safety Assist and providing moderation tools while balancing content regulations to ensure a safe and enjoyable user experience.
Today, I’m talking to Jason Citron, the co-founder and CEO of Discord, the gaming-focused voice and chat app. You might think Discord is just something Slack for gamers, but over time, it has become much more important than that. For a growing mix of mostly young, very online users steeped in gaming culture, fandom, and other niche communities, Discord is fast becoming the hub to their entire online lives. A lot of what we think of as internet culture is happening on Discord.
In many ways Discord represents a significant shift away from what we now consider traditional social platforms. As you’ll hear Jason describe it, Discord is a place where you talk and hangout with your friends over shared common interests, whether that’s video games, the AI bot Midjourney, or maybe your favorite anime series. It is a very different kind of interface for the internet, but that comes with serious challenges, especially around child safety and moderation.
Links:
Discord opens up to games and apps embedded in its chat app — The Verge
Discord is nuking Nintendo Switch emulator devs and their entire servers — The Verge
Inside Discord’s reform movement for banned users — The Verge
