If SOPA were to pass, Imgur would not be able to exist. We survive on user-generated content. It would be impossible for us to police the amount of traffic we get for what is or isn’t copyrighted material. It’s just not possible. Alan Schaaf Read Quote
Imgur is a data-driven company, and our community is our most important signal. But you can’t perfectly plot humans neatly into a chart. It takes someone with instincts and empathy to truly understand the community and represent them in all of the company decisions. Alan Schaaf Read Quote
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. Alan Schaaf Read Quote
Being bootstrapped is great. You own 100 percent of it. But the downside is that you aren’t able to move as fast as you want. Alan Schaaf Read Quote
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. Alan Schaaf Read Quote
I’m probably most proud of the fact that we are bootstrapped and that we are able to do not just the typical Silicon Valley startup thing. We are basically throwing away all the typical conventions of other startups. Alan Schaaf Read Quote
When I was a student, I was working at the technology call center, where students call in if they can’t get their email to work or something. A minimum-wage kind of job. Alan Schaaf Read Quote
When I was in high school and college, I’d always been into websites, and when you’d read about sites and the companies and people behind them, they were always in Silicon Valley. This one’s in Mountain View, this one’s in Palo Alto. They’re all right here. I knew I wanted to move out here, whether it was to work at Google or some other company. Alan Schaaf Read Quote
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. Alan Schaaf Read Quote
