Discord began in 2015 as a gamer-focused chat app, born from Jason Citron's realization that existing voice chat (like Skype) was poor for coordinating games. After pivoting from a failed game studio (Hammer & Chisel), they launched the free, high-performance platform for real-time voice and text, rapidly growing within gaming communities and eventually expanding to become a general community hub during the pandemic, attracting millions beyond gaming. 
Early Origins (2009-2014)
OpenFeint: Founder Jason Citron created OpenFeint, a social gaming platform, which he sold for over $100 million.
Hammer & Chisel: Citron used the proceeds to found a game development studio, Hammer & Chisel, in 2012.
The Problem: While developing their MOBA game, Fates Forever, Citron and his team struggled with clunky voice-over-IP (VoIP) tools, identifying a need for better communication for gamers.