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Overview of Jason Citron as an entrepreneur
A brief overview of Jason Citron an accomplished entrepreneur in the gaming and technolagy space. His entrepreneurial journey has been marked by a relentless pursuit of creating platforms that foster vibrant communities and enhance the gaming experience.

Brief description of Discord and its significance in the industry
Discord, founded by Jason Citron in 2015, is the mostly widely used communication platform by gamers (1). The platform has more than 150 million monthly active users and billions every year(1). It offers voice, video, and text chat features that specifically catered to gamers but also is widely used as social point for students across the globe (2). As the core strength it is intuitive interface, low-latency communication, and robust features had putted above and beyond what the indestory was offering at the time allowing for relatively quick rise to fame (2).

A lot of the platform success is award to Citron passion for gaming and noticing the gap in market for easy intuitive communication platforms that appeals to young gamers. Combining existing successful platform design ideas like forms and turing them into voice and screenshare platform is what made Discord so unique. However it is also important to note that Citron was a well versed software engineer which is reflected in the platform low-latency and high quality design.

Entrepreneurial Background

Early life and education
Jason Citron was born on March 27, 1986, in California, United States. He grow up with clear love for technology, coubled with the long gaming sessions he used to have with his friends, his heart was already in this indestroy way before discord came into shape which caused the high level of personal fit with discord success. 

Citron pursued his higher education at Stanford University, naturally studying computer science what his interest was at. However two years after working in the industry he decided he wanted to be an entrepreneur. Having studied at one of the top 3 universities in the world Citron was equipped was strong foundation and technical knowledge which came to be one of his key strengths. 

Previous entrepreneurial ventures or experiences
Citron began with the co-founding of Aurora Feint in 2008, a mobile gaming company that developed popular games for the iOS platform. As his first company Citron was sight on gaming and technology was clear and his first company was relatively successful positioning him as an innovative force in the gaming industry. His success here showcased another strengths of Citron which spotting opportunities in already competitive established industries which will come to his aid very soon.

Building on the success of Aurora Feint, Citron transitioned into another tech gaming called OpenFeint, a groundbreaking social platform for mobile gaming. It served a very similar purpose as discord of connecting gaming but it cater to a smaller sub niche of mobile gamers. 


Early on OpenFeint faced challenges in the form of competition and changing market dynamics. At one point, Apple announced the launch of its Game Center, which posed a significant threat to OpenFeint's business model as a social gaming platform.

In the face of this adversity, Citron and his team demonstrated resilience and adaptability. They made strategic decisions to pivot OpenFeint's focus towards becoming a cross-platform solution, expanding beyond iOS to include Android devices. This shift allowed OpenFeint to continue offering value to game developers and users, despite the competition from Apple's Game Center. Proving Citrons high adversity quotient.


The start up was another sucess and Citron went on to sell the company for $104 million in 2011 to GREE International. Having both funds, patission and experince gained from the previous two start up Citron gained the business acume needed to start his biggest yet adventure.

Relevant skills and expertise 
Drawing upon his computer science background, Citron possesses extensive technical skills and expertise in software development and programming languages. This technical foundation empowers him to lead the development of innovative products and platforms. Citron's entrepreneurial journey demonstrates a profound understanding of the industry's dynamics, exemplified by his ability to navigate the S curve effectively. 

The S curve concept illustrates how entrepreneurial ventures evolve over time, from initial growth to eventual maturity. Citron has adeptly embraced this concept by positioning himself at the consented growth starting with Aurora Feint game emerging market trend and when he eventually reached the stanget level of the growth he pivoted into a communication platform to under go anther upward trajectory of the S curve, capturing the market's attention and propelling his reputation as a visionary entrepreneur. 

Citron's visionary leadership and strategic thinking are key strengths that have propelled his success. At the time, Citron noticed that mobile gaming lacked robust social features and a unified platform for gamers to connect and engage with each other and thus he levered his understanding of the gaming community and market trends, to transition to OpenFeint. This demonstrates his application of the concept of suboptimal opportunity spotting.

However this consent shift to growth stage compnaies showcase potential weakeness in Citron abiliy in managing large-scale operations and scaling matured businesses. 

The birth of Discord
For his next venture Citron applied the need of pain concept, looking for areas where gamers struggle. He found opportunity in the social gaming space due to unmet need of well designed social platforms catered for gamers and the increasing demand for communication platforms. Having already acquired domain knowledge and funds from his previous startups, Citron didn't seek venture capitalists. Instead, he partnered with his lifelong friend Stan Vishnevskiy and launched Discord on May 13, 2015. Discord was an instant hit and quickly gained popularity due to its user-friendly browser-based platform, allowing server owners to easily share links for others to join which was very different compare to the usually software installation required by the other plaformas. Citron strategy of reducing the barrier of entry, worked well in speeding up the mass adoption of discord before offering installabe desktop version. 

Discord truly embodies the concept of creative destruction as it revolutionizes communication within the gaming community. It goes beyond being a mere communication platform, offering a wide range of services and features that transform it into a comprehensive social platform for gamers. With its forward-thinking approach, Discord was truly ahead of its time, surpassing expectations and meeting the 10x rule for innovation.

Industry and Market Trends

Gamers Social Apps Industry Overview
When analyzing the industry via Porter's Five Forces we come to relise that it is a relatively tough to compete in. First off having a moderate threat of new entrants given  the low barriers to entry in terms of technology infrastructure. However, established networks and communities within Discord can act as a barrier to new entrants. Bargaining Power of Suppliers is moderate as well. Suppliers have some ability to influence pricing and terms but are not overly dominant. Furthermore, the threat of substitute products or services in the gaming industry is moderate. However companies usually try to create communities to go around that and create unique experiences that cant be found in other platforms. They also hold  significant control over products and services making for low bargaining power, and limiting buyer negotiation. Finally the intensity of competitive rivalry is relatively high with numerous gaming companies and platforms competing for market share and constant innovation driving competition. 

Overall, the gaming industry leveraging technology like Discord faces moderate threats from new entrants and suppliers, while buyers have low bargaining power. The industry also faces a moderate threat of substitutes, but competitive rivalry is high due to the presence of numerous gaming companies and platforms.

Success Factors and Industry Evolution
For companies in the tech gaming industry the key success factors are centered around effective product, community-building, and user engagement. Discord's success relies on providing a seamless and reliable platform for communication among gamers and various communities. Key factors include offering high-quality voice and text chat features, intuitive user interface, customizable settings and cross-platform compatibility.

In terms of drivers of change, the gaming industry is influenced by several factors, the biggest and most impactful one being technological advancements. Advancement of existing tech such as improvements in internet connectivity, and the emergence of new tech and gaming platforms attract more interests and new tech to be compatible with. The evolving preferences and behaviors of gamers, such as increased interest in esports and live streaming, also drive changes in the industry. Additionally, regulatory developments, like data privacy regulations or changes in content moderation policies, can impact how platforms like Discord operate and interact with users.

Rise of online communication platforms
Online communication platforms have experienced a sharp rise in demand. Companies like facebook, youtube and many others pivated the way for a new generation of tech communication users. That rise naturally spilled over the gaming industry as more and more games became online and virtual instead of in person in arcade stores. Gamers, craving social interaction and collaborative experiences, seek dedicated spaces to connect and communicate with fellow players online. Citron astutely recognized this trend and identified a suboptimal opportunity in existing communication platforms that failed to cater specifically to gamers' needs. 

Increasing demand for community-driven platforms
The demand for community-driven platforms has surged, as gamers seek spaces to form connections, share experiences, and engage in meaningful interactions. Citron capitalized on this trend by positioning Discord as a platform that goes beyond simple communication, fostering a sense of community through features like dedicated servers, customizable roles, and group activities.

Lessons Learned from Jason Citron


Key learning from the person
Jason Citron's entrepreneurial journey was full of challenges and lessons. One key learning from Citron is the importance of repurposing already successful ideas to cater to different niche. Citron ability to spot gaps in existing markets and create innovative solutions tailored to specific needs has been instrumental in his success. By keenly observing industry trends and understanding the pain points of target audiences, Citron has demonstrated the power of identifying and seizing suboptimal opportunities as a pathway to entrepreneurial success.


Key learning from the venture
The ventures led by Jason Citron, specifically Discord, offers a significant lesson in the importance of catering to a specific niche. Discord's success lies in its focused approach of providing a communication platform tailored exclusively for gamers and online communities. By understanding the unique requirements of this target audience and developing features that cater to their needs, Discord has emerged as a dominant player in the industry. The key learning here is the significance of deep customer understanding and delivering a product or service that precisely meets their demands.


Conclusion
In conclusion, Jason Citron's entrepreneurial journey and the success of Discord are based on a thorough analysis of the concepts discussed earlier. Citron's ability to navigate the S curve, spot suboptimal opportunities, and leverage market trends has been evident in his ventures. His technical expertise, combined with a passion for gaming and communication technology, has played a crucial role in his ability to create innovative products that resonate with target audiences.
" improve  wording when need it