HOW DISCORD IS SUPPORTING A GENERATION OF DEVELOPERS
Discord has long been more than just bants. Senior Product Manager Mason Sciotti tells us where the platform is heading next
T
he role and input of third-party developers has always been key to the growth and evolution of online platforms. In platforms’ infancy, budding developers build experiences that add value
for users and infuse creativity beyond the core product. Harnessing the potential of these builders requires a platform to empower these developers with access to the right resources, and to cultivate a community of entrepreneurial thinking where anyone is able to create, manage, and grow engaged audiences around fun experiences and passion points. But going from passion to career is no easy feat. Doing so requires a space with the potential for experimentation, the right tools, an engaged audience, and the means for growing your brand and profile. Many established developers rely on external advertising, but this can be costly and sometimes too high a barrier for those starting out. Instead, developers are turning their attention to the platforms
themselves, seeking a space that can provide greater support and guidance to help them make their mark and flex their entrepreneurial muscle.
BUILDING A PLATFORM FOR DEVELOPERS Exceptional experiences are made by those pushing the boundaries of possibility. Both the boundaries, and the ability to push them, are necessary pieces of the puzzle. For burgeoning developers, a platform is a playground. There are
primitives, building blocks, that give you a clear path from A to B, helping you get started and inspiring confidence in making your first thing. There’s also plenty of wide-open space for imagination.
38 | MCV/DEVELOP August/September 2024 For a platform looking to inspire developers, this means starting
with an open API that lets developers do the same things that users do. If it can be done with a tap of a button, let developers do it in code – and more. This offers developers a real playground to explore and experiment with new ideas for potential apps. It also provides the tools to help build them – whether they’re a solo creator born from a particular interest or hobby, a small group of developers or even a large professional team. At Discord, we’ve had an open API since shortly after launch in 2015. The primitives – like sending a message, adding reactions and stickers, creating a new group chat – make building on Discord easy and approachable. Developers get a quick feedback loop of building something and seeing recognizable results. As their familiarity grows and creativity starts to blossom, they take those primitives, mash them together in unique ways, and create experiences we’d never have imagined. Our teams have fostered an environment where developers have the
tools they need to create an array of fun, engaging, and incredibly handy apps that change how millions of Discord users spend time with their friends. Through open collaboration, a vibrant community of developers have been able to find a new home on Discord where they create things that our users love - from games to moderation tools to apps for learning new skills. And, with the addition of the App Directory in 2022, eligible developers’ apps can become discoverable in the product, making it easier than ever for users to find these awesome creations. This collaborative culture has allowed for over 750,000 third-party apps, which are used by more than 45 million people each month. It’s
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