Alexis Ohanian Reveals in Three Words What He Misses About Leading Reddit
Alexis Ohanian, cofounder of Reddit, openly discussed his past role during a recent “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) session on the platform. The conversation took place as he promoted Digg, an old competitor of Reddit that he has rejoined.
Ohanian’s Departure from Reddit
Ohanian left Reddit’s board in June 2020, a decision he characterized as “long overdue.” His departure followed the social unrest after George Floyd’s tragic death, prompting him to call for a more diverse leadership.
- Ohanian urged the board to appoint a black candidate to his former position.
- His exit aimed to influence policy changes against hate speech on the platform.
Reflections on Leadership
During the AMA, when asked if he missed leadership at Reddit, Ohanian replied succinctly with, “I do not.” He expressed no regrets about stepping down and emphasized the importance of ethical decision-making in tech leadership.
Relaunch of Digg
Digg was founded in 2004 by Kevin Rose and Jay Adelson. Ohanian’s involvement comes after several ownership changes, including a failed acquisition deal with Google in 2008 for $180 million. The platform was sold to Betaworks for $500,000 in 2012.
Recently, Rose reacquired Digg, and Ohanian joined the efforts to revamp it. In the AMA, he promised a community-first approach with a transparent algorithm.
Commitment to Transparency
Ohanian pledged that Digg would not utilize AI-driven recommendations that often lead to “enshittification”—a term he used to describe the decline in user experience due to opaque algorithms. Instead, he stated:
- No AI will rank or personalize content on Digg.
- Feed logic will be straightforward, published, and easy to understand.
As Ohanian moves forward with Digg, his insights reflect a commitment to ethics in digital platforms, a stance shaped by his experiences at Reddit.
