Words matter. These are the best Alan Schaaf Quotes, and they’re great for sharing with your friends.
Imgur has always been profitable right from the very beginning, and the only time I ever had to spend money on it was for the initial domain name because as soon as I released it, people liked it so much that they were donating, and so Imgur survived for the first six months just purely on donations.
I ran a profitable boostrapped company for five years, then raised $40 million from Andreessen Horowitz.
For millennials, being a geek is a positive thing, and we see people proudly self-identifying themselves as geeks.
In the early days, it was enough for Imgur to have a team that was focused on building product and engineering. But I realized early on if we were going to be successful, we needed someone who would be a bridge between the company and community.
Imgur offers a rare place for people to express themselves in a real way without the fear of social judgment. Everyone has an equal chance of sharing their story to millions of people because it’s not about who you are but about the quality of your content.
I don’t think display advertising is the future of advertising.
I like to think of an image as different from a photo.
We want people on the Internet to go to Imgur for their viral image fix. And what’s so awesome about images vs. videos is that instant gratification.
Imgurians increasingly live on their mobile devices, and we wanted to make it as easy as possible for them to browse and discuss Imgur’s content wherever and whenever they want.
I’m the type of manager who doesn’t really like the word ‘manage.’ Nor do I really like the word ‘boss.’ I like to look at myself as more as a leader.
I don’t have much time to read. I’m more of a problem solver. I’ll have an idea or a problem, and I’ll learn what’s necessary in order to do the idea or solve the problem. If I need to read a book, then I will, but it usually comes down to researching on the Internet and reading blog posts.
We want to be the best place on the Internet. That’s where the focus is at.
On Imgur, introverts can be extroverts. They don’t have to worry about curating their own brand and are able to express themselves more authentically. They can go on Imgur and be themselves.
Honestly, I could care less about business development.
Geek culture is all about being super passionate about your interests and not afraid to express them, even if your interests are unpopular.
When we first started growing our employees, I was scared. I would often think, ‘If we had more people, what would they do? Is there really enough work?’
We want to be like a YouTube for viral images.
We’ve talked with over a dozen VCs and angel investors over the years. But we’ve never clicked with any of them until Andreessen. During our initial meeting, we were bouncing ideas around about where Imgur could go.
People come home from work, and they just want to unwind.
The reason I want to be able to teleport is that I don’t like waiting around. It’s one of my pet peeves. I also don’t like traveling, because I don’t like sitting on a plane for six hours, doing nothing, essentially wasting time. You know what would be awesome? Bam, I’m in New York.
My favorite interview question is, ‘If you could have a superpower, what would it be?’
If there is a viral video on the Internet, you know it’s on YouTube. You can search for it, find it, see the view count, and then take that link and share it with whomever you want. That’s what we are doing for images.
There are so many easier ways to live your life than to start a company.
Imgur is all about images, some of which may be photos but don’t have to be.
If you’re even on the fence about hiring someone, that person is a no. You have to feel it in your gut.
Imgur isn’t about following a celebrity, and it’s not about following a person in real life. You don’t have to build up a massive following and use that to get your distribution.
The successful entrepreneurs that I see have two characteristics: self-awareness and persistence. They’re able to see problems in their companies through their self-awareness and be persistent enough to solve them.
We’re trying to be a content destination for viral images and to be an entertainment destination in general.
I’m against the SOPA act, and Imgur, as a company, is against it.
Not only do Imgurians get the opportunity to find the content that they love but also serve up their favorite content to others who visit their profiles.
