Discord founder (Jason Citron) on the growth hack that got Discord its first few thousand users When Discord launched in 2015, the team had a hard time finding users. At first, only 20 people were using the app daily, and those were mostly friends. Many gamers didn’t see the need for another chat app and said things like, “I already have one, why use this?” For weeks, the team wondered, “Do people even want this?” Then they discovered the key: instead of trying to sell the app, they asked for feedback. Their breakthrough happened on a Final Fantasy 14 subreddit. A friend posted, “I’m trying this new voice app. What do you think?” People clicked the link, tried Discord, and talked directly with the creators. They liked the app and went back to the subreddit to say, “This is cool, and the developers are great!” That one post brought in 50 new users in a day. The next day, it doubled to 100. Over six months, they repeated this strategy, and the community grew. Discord’s big lesson? Don’t sell. Listen to people, ask for feedback, and build real connections. That’s how they got started. Follow me for more valuable startup insights from the best founders!
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