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The Untold Story of Reddit: From a Startup Gamble to Internet Powerhouse

Adam G
4 min readSep 22, 2024

When you think of the internet, what comes to mind? For many, it’s a vast landscape of information, opinions, and communities. And at the heart of this digital universe lies Reddit, a platform that has become synonymous with online discussion and community engagement. But what makes Reddit tick? How did it evolve from a simple link-sharing site to a billion-dollar powerhouse? Let’s dive into the fascinating world of Reddit and explore its unique business model, history, and the vibrant communities that make it so special.

A Brief History of Reddit

Reddit was born in 2005, thanks to the creative minds of college roommates Alexis Ohanian and Steve Huffman. Their journey began during a lecture by programmer Paul Graham, which led them to join Y Combinator, a startup accelerator. Initially, they attempted to launch a food ordering service called My Mobile Menu, but it didn’t take off. Undeterred, they pivoted and created what Graham dubbed “the front page of the Internet.” Fast forward to June 2005, and Reddit was officially launched.

In its early days, Reddit was a ghost town. To make it look lively, Ohanian and Huffman created hundreds of fake accounts to post content. It wasn’t long before the platform began to attract real users, and by November 2005…

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Adam G
Adam G

Written by Adam G

Founder of www.businessideas.directory Tech enthusiast, currently entrepreneuring — regularly sharing content on startup stories.

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