The magical journey of Midjourney

Last week a colleague shared why MidJourney had decided to launch their AI image creation service on Discord , as I mentioned that for me it created some complexity. The reason is that Midjourney wanted to utilize the existing server infra-structure and to build off of Discord's large and active user base. My first reaction was that this was a risky route to take, not being able to build a proprietary platform with its own app and login, and requiring new Midjourney users, like me, to register on Discord. But a bit of investigation brought a lot of insights on the benefits of this bold strategic decision, as well as other unique company facts.

Why launch on an existing platform?

Ego often drives (bigger) companies to do everything in house, agile companies scale fast through partnerships. Midjourney chose Discord. Here are some reasons why:

• Access to a Pre-existing Audience and overlap with AI Enthusiasts: Discord’s core user base skews towards younger, tech-savvy individuals, with 72% of its users between 18-34 years old—an ideal demographic for AI art enthusiasts. By leveraging this, MidJourney accessed millions of users quickly. Number of Discord Users: As of 2023, Discord has over 300 million registered users, with 150 million active monthly users.
• MidJourney's Discord Server: MidJourney’s server has grown rapidly, surpassing 15 million members by mid-2024, making it one of the largest creative communities on the platform.
• Scalability: Discord can host multiple instances of servers (up to 500 servers per user), and MidJourney’s Discord community operates within hundreds of channels spread across various interest groups.
• Bot Integration: Response Time: MidJourney’s AI bot can generate images in under 60 seconds for most users, handling thousands of concurrent prompt requests with minimal latency.

As a result of the strategic choice to launch on Discord Midjourney achieved rapid User Growth. MidJourney went from 0 to 15 million users within its first 18 months on Discord.

Mega results with a micro team

Small Core Team, Huge Impact: What is also amazing is the size of the company, David Holz the founder of Midjourney achieved all of this with only 11 full-time staff members. Midjourney is an independent research lab exploring new mediums of thought and expanding the imaginative powers of the human species. We are a small self-funded team focused on design, human infrastructure, and AI.

The team operates fully remotely, which allows them to tap into global talent while maintaining a flat organizational structure. Employees are spread across different time zones, but the communication is fluid and real-time through platforms like Discord and Slack.

???- The remote-first approach has allowed them to scale quickly while maintaining flexibility and a strong connection with their user base, especially on the same platforms they work from.

More magic...

Here are some unexpected details about MidJourney's strategy, team, and working approach:

?Unique Prompt-Driven Approach: Unlike some other AI platforms that focus on model training or technical expertise, MidJourney built its brand around user-friendly, prompt-based interaction. The AI model is designed to be intuitive for people with no prior experience in AI or coding, allowing any user to create complex art with simple text inputs. This strategy has democratized access to high-quality AI tools, attracting a diverse user base.

?Iterative Product Development with Community Feedback: MidJourney's development process is heavily community-driven. The team uses the live feedback from its Discord server to quickly iterate and improve features. They regularly release "algorithm upgrades" as new versions, like V4 and V5, based on direct user input, adjusting the image generation style, speed, and detail based on community preferences.

Beta Testing as a Strategy: Rather than traditional alpha or beta launches, MidJourney's improvements are often rolled out to the entire community at once. The result is a highly engaged user base that feels like they are co-developing the platform.

?Non-Traditional Revenue Model: While many AI services monetize through enterprise subscriptions or large-scale partnerships, MidJourney's revenue model is primarily community-driven, subscription-based access. Their pricing tiers start at relatively low monthly rates (around $10 to $60), which has made it accessible to a broad user base while still being profitable due to the scale of their membership.

No Ads, No Enterprise Bloat: MidJourney has deliberately stayed away from ad-based revenue and has not aggressively pursued enterprise clients, unlike many AI competitors. Their focus remains on growing organically through individual user subscriptions and community growth.

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These elements highlight how MidJourney’s success is as much about community engagement, agile development, and fostering creativity as it is about cutting-edge AI technology.

Thank you Victoria Ballesta Ferrer for sharing the story of Midjourney.

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