In 2001, prior to establishing Reddit, marrying a tennis icon, or becoming an emblem of fatherhood and business, Alexis Ohanian addressed a high school graduation ceremony. “Your impact’s magnitude shouldn’t be gauged by media attention or salary amounts,” he expressed to his peers, “but instead by the influence you wield on your surrounding environment.”
Ohanian’s remarks foreshadowed his destiny: The 42-year-old cofounder of Reddit created a social platform recognized as “the front page of the internet,” and even post-reddit, he pursued his entrepreneurial pathway. Over the span of two decades, he has invested in, guided, and coached numerous startups. He has also utilized his prominence to advocate for issues such as paternity leave, net neutrality, and technology inclusiveness.
This March, Ohanian publicly shared news of his return to social platforms. Together with former rival Kevin Rose, founder of Digg, they reacquired the platform for a new launch.
Ohanian appeared on Uncanny Valley for the podcast’s inaugural Big Interview. Keep an eye on your feeds for a fresh episode each week, featuring discussions with voices from WIRED’s realm.
This interview has been adjusted for length and simplicity.
KATIE DRUMMOND: We always kick off these discussions with a bit of rapid fire. Are you prepared?
ALEXIS OHANIAN: Absolutely. I’ve had my coffee.
Alright, great. What’s your most frequented text thread?
With my wife and our caregivers.
That makes sense. Parenting two over there. ChatGPT or Claude?
You know, I alternate between the two. I’d say I lean more towards ChatGPT, but it seems like Claude excels at writing and coding much better. ChatGPT was primarily trained on extensive Reddit data, so maybe I should utilize it more.
We’ll touch on that a bit later. Now, I hate to bring this up, but you worked at Pizza Hut during high school.
I did. Nothing wrong with that.
I worked at Tim Horton’s, so I can relate. Favorite pizza topping?
Jalapenos.
Bold choice. First video game acquisition?
Oh my goodness. With my own cash?
Yes.
It was likely this helicopter action simulation called Comanche: Maximum Overkill. I had just gotten my hands on this computer, this 486SX beast. I was over the moon.
Now you’re really making me wish to find and relive this game on YouTube.
My first game was probably something akin to SimTower, and at times, I find myself yearning. I long to build those condos. New York or San Francisco?
New York. I was born in Fort Greene. Come on.
American football or soccer?
I’m eternally going to be a passionate American football enthusiast. That was the sport I played and adored. I’ve grown to appreciate the beautiful game, but I was definitely raised in the NFL culture.
