Day 16 of 100 · Community

Reddit

Two roommates pitched a food-ordering app, got rejected, and were told to build 'the front page of the internet' instead.

Started atUniversity of Virginia
Founded2005
FoundersSteve Huffman & Alexis Ohanian
CountryUSA

How it started

They were UVA roommates who applied to an accelerator right out of college. The rejection came with a better idea attached.

The lesson for your campus Say yes to the redirect.

Why every campus needs an Innovation-Hub

Why we are telling this story

The next company on a list like this one has not been founded yet. Right now it is a student in a lecture hall with an idea nobody has asked about, and no room to build it in. Innovation-Hub is that room: a permanent space inside your institution where students from every department explore, experiment, collaborate and prototype.

See how to start one on your campus →

Ask the Founder

Pick a question — or write your own — and get a grounded answer about how Reddit was actually built.

Opens ChatGPT in a new tab with your question ready. Answers are generated by AI from publicly reported information — they are not statements by the founders. Always check anything important against an original source.

← Day 15: Unacademy Day 17: ideaForge →

The next one comes from your campus

Innovation should not be an annual event. It should be a permanent room where students are allowed to build. Bring an Innovation-Hub to your institution.

Start an Innovation-Hub Explore Green-Campus