I began work on Ninja Post for two reasons. First, I had first hand experience with the power of online communities when I got to Boston College in 1997. With “always on” internet access for the first time, I joined email lists for my favorite bands (Phish and moe., especially), and quickly forged friendships that persist to this day.

Secondly, as the internet became more intertwined in my day-to-day life, I would often come across forum discussions in search results. The information was usually helpful but there was no obvious way to register and leave a reply or even a token of gratitude. Existing forum software was difficult to use and there was no assurance that my remarks would reach the intended recipients.

While in grad school at Georgia Tech in 2005, my gut told me that it was possible to create a higher standard for forum software. A few years later, the seeds were sown when I completed a very, very rough prototype as part of a computer science course in my last semester at Tech. In the spring of 2009, Ninja Post was accepted into the Shotput Ventures program. Several months later Ninja Post was officially born.

Since then, several years have passed. The thrill of bringing new forum communities to life is one thing that keeps Ninja Post going. This idea that we can help two people who would never otherwise meet form a lifelong friendship is inspiring. Even if it’s not a lifelong friendship but just bringing together people with a shared interest for a brief laugh, a new insight, or a debate that leaves both sides more knowledgeable is unbelievably gratifying. This attitude served as the blueprint for our core values and it will fuel us for many years to come.