A thank you and farewell for just a bit.
Dear Twitch Community,
I’ve spent nearly a third of my life bleeding purple — even before we were purple — and I am so proud of everything we’ve achieved in these twelve and a half years. After many months of contemplation, I’ve decided it’s time to journey into my next adventure. My life has been forever changed for the better by Twitch; it has been a source of hope, optimism, reflection, support, energy, sharing, friendship, and belonging. I will always be part of the Twitch community, and Twitch will always be part of me.
In the ancient time Before Twitch, growing up, I spent a lot of time alone. My parents were immigrants who worked tirelessly to build a better life for us in America. One day, they surprised me with a Nintendo Famicom and a cartridge containing hundreds of games. This thing changed my life. Video games gave me a common language with more people than I had ever thought possible. I became close friends with many who grew up in circumstances unfamiliar to me, spoke languages I had never encountered, and often saw the world through an entirely different lens. Through games, we were bonded, impassioned by skill and having fun, focused on the same mission, stumbling into more similarity than strangeness. Games helped me form my community, and I have never felt alone since. Video games led me through tunnel after tunnel until I found Twitch. Twitch is a wonderfully poggers thing through which I have met so many great friends, experienced so many cultures, and shared in the heights of human connection. Twitch has forever widened my worldview and given me purpose.
To my cofounders — Emmett, Justin, Kyle, and Michael — thank you for bringing me into the fold and for empowering me to shape a big part of my life with you. You are some of the brightest people I know and have irreversibly improved my life. I know you will forever inspire and help others to improve theirs.
To the relentlessly amazing Twitch staff, thank you for your dedication and continued contribution to the world, for welcoming all walks of life and challenging each other to improve Twitch for its users. It has been my great pleasure to work alongside you. To those who continue to carry the torch, remember that we do this together. There’s always a helping hand, a brain to pick, and a shoulder to lean on in the Twitch family.
To the Twitch community: I am forever in your debt. Without you, Twitch does not exist. Thank you for the constant feedback and for pushing us to do right by you. You keep us honest. You are the reason we do this. Thank you for making Twitch, thank you for being Twitch, and, thank you for keeping Twitch Twitch.
To everyone in the gaming industry, thank you for embracing us and for working with us to create an amazing home for gamers. And an extra-special thank you to the earliest adopters for championing us to your colleagues. You have no idea how much easier it was when we stopped hearing “So what’s Twitch?” and only heard “Oh Twitch! That’s the thing everyone watches instead of working.” To those colleagues, sorry about that, but now I hope you’re watching, too.
Thank you to Amazon for welcoming us to the mothership and for continuing to believe in Twitch and its people. To our investors, mentors, advisors, and everyone else that helped us — thank you for being generous with your time and insight. Our success is yours.
And finally, to my parents, my family, my friends and loved ones: thank you for supporting me when I was weak, and thank you for keeping me grounded when I was strong. I love you all so much.
As for what’s next: I am looking forward to spending time with family and loved ones, some sleep and relaxation, some fitness, and of course, a lot of video games. I’m so excited to stretch my curiosity and to continue exploring a world where technology is a positive amplifier in our lives. I will build again. I hope to create something as remarkable as Twitch again, to build with amazing people who will challenge me, and to make the world we experience better.
Twitch is the living magic in my life. Twitch reminds me to care for my community near and far, and I hope that it does the same for you. No matter what’s going on in your life, Twitch will remind you that you can change the world as long as you have a community that you believe in and that believes in you. Together, we are powerful. Twitch is our Link, our Crono, our Master Chief, our Tassadar. Together, we can stand up just as we can tear down. Let’s put our effort into making things a little better every day. Let’s build a higher baseline of decency, respect, and a more welcoming community. We’ve done this before; we can do it again.
Be good to yourselves, and Be Excellent to Each Other.
Be seeing you,
Kev (aka vinlin)
