'We were wrong on that first day': YouTube co-founder on the numbers that built a platform
Dubai: Twenty years after YouTube went live, its co-founder Steve Chen still talks about the early years in terms of two things: infrastructure that had to work from day one, and a willingness to be wrong about what the company was measuring. Chen was speaking at "The city that thinks", a panel at LIVEX 2026 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, moderated by Dr Ayesha Khanna, CEO of Addo AI. The session…
Twenty years after launching YouTube, co-founder Steve Chen reflects on two key lessons: building strong infrastructure from the start and embracing the possibility of early mistakes. In 1999-2019, Chen worked in Silicon Valley, before moving to Taiwan due to COVID and evolving trends in AI and semiconductors. Now, Chen splits his time between Taiwan and Silicon Valley, working on the connection between AI sector demand for chips and chip manufacturers.
Speaking at LIVEX 2026 in Abu Dhabi, Chen emphasizes that during YouTube's early days, the primary focus was on creating robust infrastructure, which was challenging given that broadband penetration was still under 50% and the first iPhone was years away. He also stresses the importance of a culture that encourages experimentation and learning from failures, allowing any team member to propose ideas based on personal product usage.
Ultimately, Chen highlights that YouTube initially tracked three core metrics—videos viewed, videos created, and users created—and these metrics guided decision-making for features. However, he acknowledges the importance of recognizing when these initial decisions were incorrect, a lesson that remains relevant as the company continues to evolve and measure engagement in more nuanced ways.
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