All Segments
How Discord Became a Developer Platform
11 segments available
In 2009 Discord cofounder and CEO, Jason Citron, started building tools and infrastructure for games. Fast forward to today and the platform has over 200 million monthly active users. In this episode, Jason, alongside a16z General Partner Anjney Midha—who merged his company Ubiquity6 with Discord in 2021—shares insights on the nuances of community-driven product development, the shift from gamer to developer, and Discord’s longstanding commitment to platform extensibility. Now, with Discord's recent release of embeddable apps, what can we expect now that it's easier than ever for developers to build? Timecodes: 00:00 - Introduction 02:30 - From Player to Developer: Building Game Infrastructure and Early Projects 07:45 - The Evolution of Discord: The Vision for Discord in 2012 and Its Rapid Growth 11:33 - How the Discord Community Shapes the Product 15:40 - The Importance of an Open API and Developer Tools 16:59 - The Rise of Generative AI on Discord 18:48 - Discord’s Embeddable Apps 21:01 - The Future of Apps on Discord: New Genres in Gaming and Apps 34:16 - Launch of the Embedded App SDK 36:39 - Building Sustainable Businesses on Discord 44:01 - Future Outlook and Developer Aspirations Resources: Find Jason on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasoncitron Find Anjney on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnjneyMidha Stay Updated: Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
Segments Timeline
The Genesis of Discord
Jason Citron shares the origins of Discord, tracing back to 2009 when he began building tools for gaming. He discusses the evolution of Discord from a gaming communication tool to a platform with over 200 million monthly active users, highlighting the significant growth and the role of community in shaping its development.
"that's the story of of our kind of creative progress as a as as humanity is like people build these tools which enables the next group of people to to focus on a higher level set of problems just in t..."
From Player to Developer: Jason's Journey
Jason Citron recounts his transition from a gamer to a developer, sparked by his childhood experiences with video games. He reflects on how early interactions with games inspired him to create better gaming infrastructure, leading to the founding of Discord and its focus on community-driven development.
"I so excited thank you for joining us Jason citran CEO of Discord former colleague current friend and the person who I know who's start tried to start game studios the most number of times and ended u..."
Community-Driven Product Development
In this segment, Jason discusses how Discord's community has influenced its product roadmap since its inception. He emphasizes the importance of user feedback in shaping features and infrastructure, illustrating how community needs have driven significant changes in Discord's capabilities.
"here right where at least twice now you you kind of approached building a a product as an application developer you could think of a game as an app and you discovered along the way that there's a bunc..."
The Power of an Open API
Jason explains the significance of Discord's open API and developer tools, which have allowed third-party developers to create bots and extensions. He highlights how this openness has fostered innovation and community engagement, making Discord a versatile platform for various applications.
"of the most underappreciated things about Discord is that it's the the product has found a way to do two things at once that almost no other companies are able to do and businesses and teams are able ..."
Generative AI on Discord
This segment explores the rise of generative AI within the Discord ecosystem. Jason discusses how AI tools have been integrated into the platform, enhancing user experiences and creating new opportunities for developers to innovate within the community.
"right yeah I mean now we're seeing many years after you made those investments in the craft of of Designing a delightful API fantastic tutorials you know a great developer experience for people to mod..."
Introducing Embeddable Apps
Jason shares insights on Discord's recent release of embeddable apps, discussing how this feature simplifies the development process for creators. He highlights the potential impact of these apps on the platform's functionality and user engagement.
"mid journey is one example of of a generative model it's a text to image model tool um we've also seen an exp an explosion of text to music tools as an example of how extensible Discord is what what o..."
The Future of Apps on Discord
In this segment, Jason discusses the future of applications on Discord, focusing on emerging genres in gaming and app development. He speculates on how these innovations will shape user interactions and community dynamics on the platform.
"let's spend a couple minutes on that this is something you and I spent years working on together yes we did we did an uh let's let's let's take people a little bit behind the curtain of like what it t..."
Launching the Embedded App SDK
Jason elaborates on the launch of the Embedded App SDK, detailing its features and benefits for developers. He explains how this toolkit will empower creators to build more integrated and engaging experiences within Discord.
"to go a little bit deeper there so I remember one of the most exciting parts of working you know at Discord was the respect for infrastructure right um the company had built uh its own web RTC streami..."
Building Sustainable Businesses on Discord
This segment focuses on how developers can create sustainable businesses using Discord as a platform. Jason shares insights on monetization strategies and the potential for growth within the Discord ecosystem.
"the Discord team finally launched in full General availability um after years of crafting and honing the the developer experience the embedded app SDK on March 18 and if I get my if I have my numbers ..."
Future Outlook and Developer Aspirations
Jason concludes by discussing the future outlook for Discord and its developer community. He shares his aspirations for the platform and how he envisions it evolving to meet the needs of users and developers alike.
"know I was talking to a developer at GDC who is working on um on a Discord embedded activity that um is is tinkering with some of these new generative models that you're were describing and one of the..."
Anticipating the Future of Discord Apps
Citron expresses excitement about the future of app development on Discord, envisioning a significant increase in the number of applications available. He highlights the potential for innovation and creativity within the community, encouraging developers to explore the new platform capabilities.
"easier in one place yeah I mean that's that's the Journey of of I think most great um products like how do you make it so that whatever whatever someone's trying to do is better faster and cheaper rig..."