Our story
Discord is about giving people the power to create space to find belonging in their lives. We want to make it easier for you to talk regularly with the people you care about. We want you to build genuine relationships with your friends and communities close to home or around the world. Original, reliable, playful, and relatable. These are the values that connect our users and our employees at Discord.
Prologue
Discord was started to solve a big problem: how to communicate with friends around the world while playing games online. Since childhood, founders Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy both shared a love of video games, cherishing the friendships and connections that formed while playing them. At the time, all the tools built for this job were slow, unreliable, and complex. Jason and Stan knew they could make a better service that encouraged talking, helped form memories, and recreated the feeling of togetherness all found through gaming.
Chapter One
So, in 2015, Stan and Jason started to bring Discord to life. People from all over the world loved it. Discord made it easy to genuinely communicate with friends, going beyond casual talking. Friends were staying in touch with their various communities. Discord was making it easy to participate in conversation, hopping around text, voice and video to talk. The technology was complex but the goal was simple: make Discord an inviting and comfortable home to jump into with your communities and friends. Within a few years, Discord began to take off, and devoted people who loved our product sprung up around the world.
Where are we now?
Discord is used by everyone from local hiking clubs, to art communities, to study groups. Discord has millions of people creating places for their friends and communities, talking for upwards of 4 hours per day on the platform. Discord is now where the world talks, hangs out, and builds relationships. Discord lets anyone create a space to find belonging—just like it did for Jason and Stan.
I'm an expert in the field of communication platforms and online communities, with a deep understanding of the evolution and dynamics of platforms like Discord. My knowledge is rooted in both theoretical frameworks and practical experiences, allowing me to provide insights into the key concepts outlined in the provided article.
Discord's Mission and Values: The article introduces Discord as a platform designed to empower individuals to create spaces for finding belonging in their lives. The mission revolves around making communication easier and fostering genuine relationships. The values highlighted—original, reliable, playful, and relatable—emphasize the platform's commitment to authenticity and user engagement.
Founding Story - Solving a Problem: Discord was founded by Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy to address the challenge of communicating with friends worldwide during online gaming. The founders, who shared a passion for video games, recognized the limitations of existing communication tools for gaming. This firsthand experience underscores Discord's origin as a solution to a real-world problem faced by its creators.
User Experience and Platform Development: In 2015, Stan and Jason initiated the development of Discord with the aim of creating a service that went beyond casual conversation. The platform aimed to facilitate genuine communication and help users build lasting memories and a sense of togetherness. The founders recognized the shortcomings of existing tools, such as their slow, unreliable, and complex nature, and set out to create a more efficient and user-friendly alternative.
Multifaceted Communication Features: Discord's success can be attributed to its multifaceted communication features, including text, voice, and video capabilities. This versatility allows users to engage in conversations in various ways, accommodating different preferences and needs within communities. The article emphasizes the complexity of the technology behind Discord while highlighting its simple goal: to be an inviting and comfortable space for communities and friends.
Global Adoption and Diverse User Base: Over the years, Discord has evolved into a platform used by a diverse range of communities, from local hiking clubs to art communities and study groups. The article points out that millions of people spend considerable time on Discord, talking for upwards of 4 hours per day. This global adoption and diverse user base demonstrate the platform's versatility and its ability to cater to a wide array of interests and needs.
Current Status and Impact: As of now, Discord has become a central hub where the world communicates, hangs out, and builds relationships. It has transformed into a space where anyone can create a sense of belonging, echoing the initial goal of its founders, Jason and Stan.
In summary, Discord's success is deeply rooted in its founders' firsthand experiences, a commitment to solving a real problem, continuous innovation in communication features, and its ability to cater to a diverse user base. The platform's evolution from a solution for gamers to a global communication hub underscores its adaptability and resonance across various communities.
