KEVIN ROSE, 31. Founder and chief architect of Digg. Shot on location in Union Square by Anön.
Kevin Rose knew it was time to launch Digg—an editor-free website where content is completely chosen and ranked by user votes—back in 2004, when he was host of The Screen Savers, the most popular show on the TechTV cable network. "I was frustrated by the fact that it was the executive producer who would say, 'This is how it will be; this is what we're creating,'" says Rose, a college dropout who moved to California from Las Vegas in 2000. "We had no say, and no mechanism to find out what viewers liked or didn't like."
With only a computer, $1,000 in savings and the rights to his third-choice domain name (his first and second picks—dig.com and digdig.com—were already taken), Rose turned his curious "social experiment" into a profitable online destination visited by more than 29 million unique users per month, consistently ranked one of the most popular sites in the world.
Looking back, did Rose ever think Digg would get this big? "I thought it would be a fun project, so if it paid my rent too, then I'd be pretty excited." Not only is Rose paying his rent, but he's bankrolling 70 other full-time employees out of Digg's Potrero Hill headquarters, where he also hosts a popular weekly video podcast, Diggnation. When he's not working (these days, developing the site's user functions based on its new recommendation engines), he's climbing at Mission Cliffs or drinking tea at Samovar Tea Lounge in the Castro, and plotting to launch Digg internationally. "We'll shine when there are tens of millions of people participating every day."
Web Exclusive:
What was your favorite story to surface on Digg?
The Dog Who Waited For His Owner Everyday For 11 Years. The story had been hidden within the millions of Wikipedia entries. It's nice to see little gems like this surfaced on Digg using the power of the masses.
What do you personally "dig" locally?
In Potrero Hill, I really like Lingba [Restaurant and] Lounge. I'm really excited about what's happening in the Dogpatch. It's a funky up-and-coming neighborhood. Yield Wine Bar, and Serpentine, from the people who do Slow Club, are really nice. I like a lot of dive bars. Fly Bar on Divisadero. Nopa over there. Tsunami Sushi has an amazing sake list. And Little Star Pizza—it's insanely good. I almost go weekly. I think I'll eat healthy, go to the gym during the week, and on weekends tear up some Little Star.
BKC cowboy tee ($35), v-neck sweater ($80) and blue denim jean ($130) at Brooklyn Circus, 415-359-1999.
More 2008 Hot 20 Under 40 Picks
KEVIN ROSE, 31. Founder and chief architect of Digg. Shot on location in Union Square by Anön.
Kevin Rose knew it was time to launch Digg—an editor-free website where content is completely chosen and ranked by user votes—back in 2004, when he was host of The Screen Savers, the most popular show on the TechTV cable network. "I was frustrated by the fact that it was the executive producer who would say, 'This is how it will be; this is what we're creating,'" says Rose, a college dropout who moved to California from Las Vegas in 2000. "We had no say, and no mechanism to find out what viewers liked or didn't like."
With only a computer, $1,000 in savings and the rights to his third-choice domain name (his first and second picks—dig.com and digdig.com—were already taken), Rose turned his curious "social experiment" into a profitable online destination visited by more than 29 million unique users per month, consistently ranked one of the most popular sites in the world.
Looking back, did Rose ever think Digg would get this big? "I thought it would be a fun project, so if it paid my rent too, then I'd be pretty excited." Not only is Rose paying his rent, but he's bankrolling 70 other full-time employees out of Digg's Potrero Hill headquarters, where he also hosts a popular weekly video podcast, Diggnation. When he's not working (these days, developing the site's user functions based on its new recommendation engines), he's climbing at Mission Cliffs or drinking tea at Samovar Tea Lounge in the Castro, and plotting to launch Digg internationally. "We'll shine when there are tens of millions of people participating every day."
Web Exclusive:
What was your favorite story to surface on Digg?
The Dog Who Waited For His Owner Everyday For 11 Years. The story had been hidden within the millions of Wikipedia entries. It's nice to see little gems like this surfaced on Digg using the power of the masses.
What do you personally "dig" locally?
In Potrero Hill, I really like Lingba [Restaurant and] Lounge. I'm really excited about what's happening in the Dogpatch. It's a funky up-and-coming neighborhood. Yield Wine Bar, and Serpentine, from the people who do Slow Club, are really nice. I like a lot of dive bars. Fly Bar on Divisadero. Nopa over there. Tsunami Sushi has an amazing sake list. And Little Star Pizza—it's insanely good. I almost go weekly. I think I'll eat healthy, go to the gym during the week, and on weekends tear up some Little Star.
BKC cowboy tee ($35), v-neck sweater ($80) and blue denim jean ($130) at Brooklyn Circus, 415-359-1999.
More 2008 Hot 20 Under 40 Picks
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