Reddit kind of anticipates this critique in its investor docs, and argues that it didn’t really start operating as a serious business until 2018 when it finally started “meaningful monetization efforts” — that is, trying to make money for real.
But that’s still six years ago. What has Reddit been doing since then?
One big, obvious answer: It has been hiring a lot of engineers and spending a lot of money on their salaries…
…What am I missing? I asked Reddit comms for comment but they declined, citing the company’s quiet period before the IPO.
The key question is: What kind of R&D? I’m afraid their key research is “how to squeeze more money out of our users”.