Quotes from Justin Kan

Snapchat is the platform I should have built at Justin.tv, so I'm jumping on the bandwagon and going hard on Snapchat.

After learning about Snapchat Stories, I've become obsessed with Snapchat.

I try to work the hardest I can without burning myself out. It's not that I think working all the time is the key to success. It's just the way I was raised.

Broadcasting something live from a remote site has always been the sole domain of large media corporations with access to satellite trucks.

Surround yourself with people who do what you want to do, and eventually you'll wake up to find yourself doing the same.

One of the ideas for Justin.tv was that it would force me to go out and be sociable and talk to people.

Why don't law firms use project management software to track where they are in the process of completing a deal and let customers see that?

Companies are bought not sold, an investment banker told me that once and it is very true. Basically what it means is you can't control selling your company, you can only sell it if somebody wants to buy it, and you need someone to want to buy it.

I like to have meetings in the early afternoon.

To me, e-sports is like poker. Twenty years ago, if someone told you that poker was going to be a massive spectator sport, you'd be like, 'What are you talking about,' right?

A lot of people on the business side are really serious. But I like being able to mix content that's me having fun.

After selling Twitch, I worked at Y Combinator, investing as a partner there for a couple of years.

When we started Twitch I didn't start off as a huge eSports fan, but I am now.

During the pandemic, obviously gaming has become almost like a primary activity. People are at home all the time, they need to entertain themselves, gaming has seen huge growth in all the gaming companies and so Twitch is no exception.

I think people have called Twitch a niche for a long time but it's not, gaming is bigger than Hollywood.

No matter what I've wanted to accomplish, whether it was raising capital, investing in a startup, or selling a company, legal has always been a cost and a roadblock to the ultimate goal.

I don't think the music business is a very good business to be in.

We see ourselves as part of a larger gaming ecosystem: You've got broadcasters, game developers, sponsors, and of course the video platforms like TwitchTV.

Electronic music is the first genre to realize how to use the music for marketing something else, which is playing festivals and club nights where they really make money.

Ironically, the pursuit of happiness can lead us into the eternal trap of chasing unhappiness.

When I was 31, we sold Twitch for a billion dollars. I achieved everything I ever dreamed of. When I was 35, I realized I was just as unhappy as I'd ever been.

You can be burned out no matter how successful you are, and you can be unhappy no matter how successful you are.

I can't promise you will succeed if you stick with your start-up. What I can promise is that if you give up, you won't possibly succeed.

Having a start-up is all about being able to see what works and change your idea.