In 'Drive: The Story of My Life,' Larry Bird shares his personal and professional journey, including his decision to transfer from Indiana University to Indiana State, the heartbreak of his father's suicide and his own failed marriage, and the discipline that turned him into a national superstar. The book covers his time with the Boston Celtics, the Celtic-Laker rivalry, and his interactions with other NBA legends like Magic Johnson, Dominique Wilkins, and Michael Jordan.
In 'The Great Good Place,' Ray Oldenburg argues that informal gathering places such as cafes, coffee shops, bookstores, bars, and hair salons are crucial for maintaining social vitality and a functioning democracy. He coined the term 'third place' to describe these public spaces that are neither home (the first place) nor work (the second place). Oldenburg examines the historical role of these places, from American taverns during the Revolution to French cafes during the Enlightenment, and laments their decline in modern suburban society. He advocates for the social value these places bring, including promoting social equality, grassroots politics, and psychological support. However, the book has also been criticized for its sexist and exclusionary views, particularly regarding women and minority groups[1][4][5].
My guest today is Jason Citron, founder and CEO of Discord. Discord is one of the largest and fastest growing social networks in the world. It started as a place for gamers to congregate online, but thanks to how easy it makes it to create a community of any type and its offering of text, audio, and video as means of communication, it has expanded far beyond gaming. It has the potential to become the default digital “third place” that we go to find belonging in a variety of online communities. With over 100 million users, it’s also one of the most interesting communications service businesses since the original social networks rose to power.
Our conversation focuses on his background prior to Discord, Discord’s founding and growth, its business model and how it has evolved over the past 8 years, and what the future holds for Discord. As we talked, I had this sense that I’d be willing to go work for Jason, and I think you’ll see why. I hope you enjoy our wide ranging conversation.
This episode is brought to you by Microsoft for Startups. Microsoft for Startups is a global program dedicated to helping “enterprise-ready” B2B startups successfully scale their companies. If you’re a founder running a B2B company targeting the enterprise, you should definitely check them out.
This episode is also sponsored by Vanta. Vanta has built software that makes it easier to both get and maintain your SOC 2 report, at a fraction of the normal cost. Founders Field Guide listeners can redeem a $1k off coupon at vanta.com/patrick.
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club and new email newsletter called “Inside the Episode” at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub.
Follow Patrick on Twitter at @patrick_oshag
Show Notes
(3:17) – (First question) – Lessons from his time as a video game developer
(7:58) – Going from game developer to game development platform
(12:23) – From his first startup to Discord
(16:33) – Expressing the hypothesis of discord
(20:10) – How to know what signal to build upon
(22:11) – Early adoption of Discord
(26:17) – Getting the word out about Discord in the early days
(30:43) – Creating more than just a platform, but creating a third place for people to congregate
(32:38) – The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community
(32:55) – The evolution and expansion of the types of community using their platform
(37:27) – Discord’s business model and how it’s evolved
(41:32) – Enhancing communication through Nitro
(45:05) – Big principles for company building at Discord
(51:22) – His thoughts around competitive advantage for the platform
(52:55) – Creating a holistic experience for the users
(55:45) – What bothers him the most when hiring
(57:47) – Kindest thing anyone has done for him
Learn More
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club and new email newsletter called “Inside the Episode” at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub.
Follow Patrick on Twitter at @patrick_oshag
Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy 
