Editor’s Note: Entrepreneur’s “20 Questions” series features both established and up-and-coming entrepreneurs and asks them a number of questions about what makes them tick, their everyday success strategies and advice for aspiring founders.
If there is a meme that is suddenly everywhere, it very likely got its start on Imgur, the online image sharing community. Case in point: 2015’s black/blue versus white/gold dress.
In 2009, Alan Schaaf started Imgur for just $7 (the cost of a domain name) from his dorm room at Ohio University. The business started as a tool to make it simpler to upload and host any kind of images on the web — not just photos, but photoshopped images, screenshots and GIFs as well.
Since it’s dorm room launch and unveiling on Reddit, Imgur has grown to become one of the most trafficked sites on the internet. The company now has 150 million active users and more than 5 billion pageviews each month.
Schaaf believes that the community has grown the way it has because while many social platforms are utilized to further a personal brand, “Imgur offers a rare place for people to express themselves in a real way without the fear of social judgment,” adding, “Everyone has an equal chance of sharing their story to millions of people, because it’s not about who you are, but about the quality of your content.”
The company has had some major milestones over the last few years. In 2014, Imgur received it’s first and so far only investment: $40 million from Andreessen Horowitz and Reddit. And in 2015 it hit 150 million monthly active users and won the Webby Awards for Best Social Media and Best Community Website.
We caught up with Schaaf for our 20 Questions series to find out what motivates him and makes him tick.
Interview was edited for length and clarity.
1. How do you start your day?
When I come into the office the first thing I do is I plan out what I want to accomplish that day. I write it down in my notebook and make sure I accomplish it before I leave that day.
2. How do you end your day?
I go through that notebook and review any notes that I took, and I check off everything on the list. I also walk the floor and chat with people and see what they are working on and how their day has gone.
3. What’s a book that changed your mind?
I don’t have much time to read. I’m more of a problem solver. I’ll have an idea or a problem and I’ll learn what’s necessary in order to do the idea or solve the problem. If I need to read a book then I will, but it usually comes down to researching on the internet and reading blog posts.
4. What’s a book you always recommend?
One of my favorite sci-fi books is Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. I would recommend it to anyone who loves sci-fi. It’s a perfect intro to sci-fi.
5. What’s a strategy to keep focused?
My routine of writing down what I want to accomplish every day is something I developed pretty early on working on Imgur.
I bootstrapped the business for five years.It was really just me the first two years. That meant I wore every hat that exists, and I figured out the only way I can accomplish things is to map them out, make sure I don’t get distracted and accomplish what I set out to do at the beginning of the day.
6. When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be the guy that rode on the back of the garbage truck and threw garbage in the back. When you’re 4 years old and you see guys hanging off the back of a big truck that’s driving down the street, it’s pretty exciting!
7. What did you learn from the worst boss you ever had?
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