Building the Internet into a Fish Tank

I explained what I do at work and what I'm building to a ten-year-old. The kid in my neighborhood wanted to know what "internet" is, what my job was, and if we could make the internet into a fish tank.

I thought about that for a bit.

Imagine a fish tank.

It's not just beautiful because of the fish inside. It's beautiful because it has plenty of fish—orange ones, blue ones—and they're all swimming together in one place.

That's what makes it beautiful.

So imagine the internet as a fish tank. We create many things on it, in all shapes and sizes—articles and videos, GIFs and memes, and more. Wouldn't it be great to see them all together?

That's what Scroll is: the front page of your internet life—a beautiful visual collection of the things you created on the web. It's like having your own personal aquarium that you can take wherever you go!

The way I see it, Scroll is like a mirror for your soul. And when I look at my reflection in this mirror, I see someone having more fun than ever! And I go to the office daily to build something that makes this experience as simple as possible for anyone.

If you can explain your idea to a ten-year-old, you're on track to building something great. This is a saying I've heard repeatedly, but it never ceases to amaze me how often people don't understand this concept.

So, I want you to take this test: explain what you are building in one sentence.

If you can do that without using jargon or confusing terms, or if you can describe what the product does in a way that anyone could understand—then congratulations! You are one step closer to nailing it. If not, don't worry too much: there are still plenty of ways to get there.