9gag – Serious(ly) Fun

9gag – Serious(ly) Fun

Penguins

Ray Chan 陳展程 (LLB 2006)

Hungry for some quality jokes, funny pictures and videos? Here is your remedy!

9gag.com, one of the world’s most popular websites for audiences seeking laughter and entertaining tidbits, is the brainchild of Ray Chan.

“We are trying to solve a problem here,” said Chan, who left HKU with a Law degree in 2006. “In this Internet age, content is everywhere but not everything is good. We help our users find the best content through curation, algorithm and the participation of the 9gag community.”

The idea popped up as a side project in 2008. Chan was then working for an online book-sharing platform. He took off from his
career in 2011 to focus on 9gag.

“We worked on a lot of internet start up ideas in the beginning but not all ideas worked out,” said Chan. “So we decided to focus on the more popular project, 9gag.”

Six years after its inception, the site is receiving 90 million views each month for an average 10 minutes’ surfing time. Yet, these numbers do not include app traffic.

With 21 million followers on Facebook, 6.8 million on Instagram and 3.3 million on Twitter, 9gag has emerged as a leading social media player. Though young, the company is in the lead in comparison to some big retail brands such as Forever 21 and Tommy Hilfiger, especially when it comes to the number of “likes” on its Facebook page.

Photo of Ray ChanSo just how did Chan do it? `“We have one guy managing all our social media accounts,” said Chan. “1.5 people to be exact because another person comes in when the social media guy goes on holiday.”

With a team of only 30 hires, Chan said creativity and diligence are the key. “We definitely don’t have as many people as big companies,” said Chan. “So we constantly have think of new and more flexible ways to get things done.”

But that’s not all. “If you think of a smart option, it’s possible that others can do it too,” said Chan. “That’s why you have to work extra hard in order to stay on top of the game.”

Though often seen as a lighthearted and sometimes goofy company, the founder said his staff are not necessarily people who
crack jokes. They are serious when it comes to work.

“Hustle is the word,” said Chan.“It’s not about doing what you love, but loving what you do.”

Motto: “Alone no more”
9gag.com

No Comments

Leave a Comment: