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Reddit’s Cofounder Conundrum
Why RDDT’s cofounder was left out of the $6.4B IPO — and how to avoid that
Tim He
September 08, 2024 • Est. Reading Time: 3 minutes
TL;DR
Hey, I’m Tim! ☕
Everyone loves Reddit. It’s the go-to platform where you can find a community for just about anything, from cooking tips to pet care, parenthood advice, and everything in between.
It’s also very democratic. You can talk about just about anything. But that can get you into trouble.
Here’s the one thing to remember: prioritize your cofoundership when professional disagreements turn personal.
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Let’s get into it ⤵
DEEP DIVE
“Et tu, Brute?” — Julius Caesar, as he was being stabbed to death by his friend.
Ohanian Omission
Cofounder Alexis Ohanian’s notable absence from Reddit’s recent IPO filing raised eyebrows.
Once best friends, Ohanian and Steve Huffman (CEO), clashed over how to handle hateful content on the platform.
Ohanian resigned after Huffman refused to ban such content. The two are no longer in contact.
Huffman later accused Ohanian of leaking internal discussions and warned staff about talking with him.
Actionable Advice
Seemingly professional disagreements can quickly turn into personal feuds. Draw the line and prioritize the cofoundership.
Cultural and ethical stances matter. You don’t always have to agree but do you do have to commit, even in disagreement.
When asked to comment on the scandal, Ohanian simply replied with ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. You don’t have to hold grudges.
Psst… enjoying this? Share this link with a friend. You could save a cofoundership.
TIM’S TAKE
Candid Comments
I think Huffman played dirty. He even continued this high-school drama (and involved Garry Tan) on Twitter.
Ohanian missed the IPO cash-out, but he earned a reputation as the bigger person and the face of Reddit's cofoundership.
Related Resources
Read this Harvard article about how to productively disagree with your cofounder.
Practice this IFTTT framework if you’re in a similar situation.
Ready to get proactive? Chat with Annie Garofalo at Cofounder Confidante and tell her I sent you.