Reddit is probably one of the best things to happen to the Internet since Wikipedia. Everything that makes the world go ‘round—news, entertainment, networking, recreational hobbies, porn—all come together on Reddit in the form of literally tens of thousands of subreddits, all fueled by over 542 million unique visitors, 234 million users, and billions of ideas, opinions, and pieces of information.
Essentially, it’s a giant, beautiful digital shit show of epic proportions.
One of Reddit’s most popular features is its AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions, where famous or noteworthy people from all over the world come to answer questions. Actors and actresses, musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, adventurers, politicians, guys with two dicks, drug dealers, people who’ve been to Heaven—they’re all there. Want a taste? Here are 7 Reddit AMAs every Cool Material reader should see:
“IamA an 27 year old American brewing beer for one of Ukraine’s first craft breweries – AMA!”
Cory McGuinness, a 27-year-old who gave up his spot as the assistant brewer with Old Town Brewing—a celebrated and award-winning craft brewery based in Portland—to take a job as the master brewer at one of Ukraine’s first craft breweries, did a Reddit AMA, and it was awesome. He talked about what it’s like to be so accomplished at such a young age, what it’s like to be a craft brew pioneer in a foreign country, the difficulties of operating business in a corrupted and war-torn place, his personal favorite style of beer, and more. Beer nerd? History nerd? Poli-sci nerd? This one’s definitely for you. Link
“I am Barack Obama, President of the United States – AMA”
Remember that time Barack Obama gave an AMA and it wound up being—by far—the most popular AMA in Reddit history? President Obama answered some pretty hard-hitting questions, ranging from campaign finance reform and student debt burden (asked by a debt-ridden, unemployed law school graduate), to what the White House beer tastes like and who his favorite basketball player is. Link
“I am the first (and so far only) person to visit every country in the world without flying… ask me anything!”
Travel. It’s something we all want to do, but are typically too busy to contemplate. Unless we’re Graham Hughes, the British adventurer and filmmaker who managed to make traveling his life’s work. As the title suggests, Hughes has visited every country (all UN member states, including Kosovo, Taiwan, Palestine, and Vatican City) without flying. Hughes talked about the hazards of traveling in unfamiliar territories, which countries serve the best food and have the nicest people, and what it’s like to be thrown in an African jail cell. He also tells a really adorable story about an Iranian grandmother who, seated next to him on a bus, was worried that no one was around to cook him a nice meal, and invited him home for breakfast. Link
“I am Elon Musk, CEO/CTO of a rocket company, AMA!”
Elon Musk is perhaps one of the most intelligent and innovative men alive today. He helped give us PayPal and Tesla, is creating a privatized space program, and even his most batshit crazy ideas (Hyperloop, anyone?) still get paid attention to. Why? Because everything the man touches seems to turn into gold (including his Reddit responses, apparently). He answers questions about the SpaceX rocket program, offers advice about dealing with adversity, and even replies to someone’s question with a video of a cat riding a Roomba. A God damn Roomba, people! Link
“IamA Todd Snyder, New York-based Menswear designer and I’m about to show my Spring 2016 collection on the runway at New York Fashion Week:Men’s AMA!”
If you hadn’t already heard, Todd Snyder is one of the most influential menswear designers in modern fashion today. Former Senior Vice President for Menswear Design at J.Crew, and Director of Menswear for the Gap, Snyder created his own fashion label in 2011, aptly titled “Todd Snyder.”
During his AMA, he discussed his collaborations with other brands and designers and why he made the decision to do so, along with who he hopes to collaborate with in the future. He talked about what he’s excited for in 2016, and offered practical advice for people with label aspirations. Oh, and he talked about what he likes on his hot dogs, naturally. Link
“I am the cofounder of Brooklyn Brewery, Steve Hindy. AMA!”
It’s a pretty well-known fact that the folks at Brooklyn Brewery were pioneers of America’s craft beer revolution. Plus, they make some damn good brews. So if you’re a hophead like us, this AMA, featuring Brooklyn Brewery cofounder Steve Hindy, is an absolute must-read. Hindy answers Redditors’ questions about distribution, the sheer gnarliness of starting a business in Brooklyn back when it wasn’t a haven for hipsters, the importance of working together, and general life advice (Like, “Don’t do business with ass holes”). Link
“Hi Reddit, I’m Bill Gates and I’m back for my third AMA. Ask me anything.”
When you take time to look at the most popular Reddit AMAs of all time, Bill Gates is hands-down one of the most popular people on the list. In this AMA, Gates discusses the accuracy of his role in Pirates of Silicon Valley, his life’s greatest regrets, what he foresees for technology in the next 30 years, what his “other” job would be if he could do it all again, his thoughts on immortality, and more, including an intimate look at “poop water,” and his thoughts on cryptocurrency and things like bitcoin. Link
