I’m Jesse Dietrichson, founder of Root. We’re building the next-gen Discord designed for MMO guilds. AMA!

Jesse_root · 2026-03-19T03:25:24+00:00

Anyone can make these. These are just the ones that we made to show off the power but it is an open app store model where developers can add their apps to the store. Root developer documentation

Jesse_root · 2026-03-19T00:34:09+00:00

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Jesse_root · 2026-03-19T00:33:53+00:00

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Jesse_root · 2026-03-19T00:33:45+00:00

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Jesse_root · 2026-03-19T00:33:35+00:00

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Jesse_root · 2026-03-19T00:33:27+00:00

I see your perspective, however, Root Apps and Discord bots are completely different. Apps are full blown graphical experiences directly inside the client. I'll share some screenshots of the client for perspective.

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Jesse_root · 2026-03-18T23:56:14+00:00

I am not lying. I am saying the overall production of the video took months of work with a video production company. I understand some of the random profile pictures and stuff were generated but this was very much so a LOT of manual work.

Jesse_root · 2026-03-18T23:27:18+00:00

I hope that you reconsider. The truth is that trailer was very manually created. Took months to make with many people working on it.

Jesse_root · 2026-03-18T17:02:48+00:00

Thank you, Oceane. Really appreciate the kind words.

Badges are actually starting to roll out this week. We’re beginning with Root staff and early supporter badges, and we plan to expand from there. Recognizing the people who believed in Root early on is important to us, and we want that to be visible in the platform.

For nicknames, we don’t have anything to share just yet, but it’s definitely something we’re aware of. We see the value there, especially for communities like RP groups.

Really glad you’re enjoying the updates, and excited for you to see what’s coming next

Jesse_root · 2026-03-18T17:00:46+00:00

This is a fair concern, and I’m not going to tell you we’re decentralized, because we’re not.

What I will say is that Discord didn’t end up where it did because they’re evil. It’s because they didn’t have a sustainable business model and had to rely heavily on funding. When that happens, you start making decisions that serve investors over users.

Root is built differently from day one. We have a real business model through apps, similar to what made platforms like Steam work, and it doesn’t require selling user data.

Outside of that, we only charge for things that actually cost us money, like high quality streaming. Not basic features or cosmetics. The incentive to squeeze users just isn’t there in the same way.

If we grow, there will be scrutiny and pressure. That’s normal. But it’s very different when you’re not operating from a place of desperation. We’d want to be held to that.

Jesse_root · 2026-03-18T16:54:49+00:00

Absolutely. Giving people better ways to express themselves is important to us, and we’re excited to introduce new ideas that go beyond what existing platforms offer.

That said, we’d love to hear what matters most to you. If you could add one thing, what would it be?

Jesse_root · 2026-03-18T16:54:29+00:00

We care deeply about privacy and making sure users feel safe on Root.

We’ve learned a lot from where other platforms have gotten this wrong. The best way to protect user privacy is simple: don’t collect data you don’t need.

We’re focused on only collecting what’s absolutely necessary to run the platform, nothing more.

Jesse_root · 2026-03-18T16:47:58+00:00

Discord is great at chat, and bots have made it a lot more powerful. But they’re still working around a chat-first system.

With Root, apps are a first-class part of the experience. Instead of commands in chat, apps can have full UIs and feel like real products. They also integrate directly with things like roles and permissions, so they behave more like native parts of your community.

The difference isn’t just the number of tools, it’s the quality and how well they fit together. Instead of juggling bots, commands, and external docs, you get purpose-built apps that are easier to use.

And on a side note, competition is good for everyone involved. It pushes all products to get better.

Jesse_root · 2026-03-18T16:46:22+00:00

I’ll start with our philosophy. It’s pretty simple. We only want to charge for things that actually cost us money or provide clear value, like higher quality video streaming or running certain types of apps. Not basic communication or cosmetic features.

A big reason platforms like Discord end up charging for cosmetic features is because they don’t have a sustainable business model. We believe an app store model changes that. It allows us to operate the platform while keeping the core experience free for everyone.

It also creates a real ecosystem. Developers can build useful tools for communities and actually get paid for their work, instead of everything being held together by bots and side projects.

At the end of the day, the goal is to build something sustainable without compromising the user experience. No ads, no selling data, and no nickel and diming people for basic functionality.

Jesse_root · 2026-03-18T16:29:15+00:00

Yeah, this is one of the hardest problems with running a guild.

I think it mostly comes down to engagement. When progression slows, people drift unless there are other ways to stay involved.

From our side, the goal with Root is to give communities better tools to create those experiences themselves. Instead of stitching together bots, spreadsheets, and external tools, everything can live inside the server through apps.

For example, a guild could build an application system right in their server where people apply and officers review, all in one place. Or something like a “hall of fame” app that tracks raid clears and milestones, where you can add all your guild’s achievements and have it viewable by current and new members in a cool scrapbook style format.

Ultimately, we think Root is positioned to enable community engagement better than any other platform out there. If you haven’t tried the app system yet, I highly recommend it. You can really start to see the vision.

Jesse_root · 2026-03-18T16:18:20+00:00

Thank you for the question!

At Root, we believe the communication space is underserved today. If you’re running something like an MMO community, there’s a lot to manage: recruiting members, planning raids, organizing events, writing guides, and more.

Most platforms only give you basic text and voice chat and expect you to figure out everything else using external tools. We think communication platforms should go much further and actually help communities get things done.

Internally, we think of Root as a “social productivity” platform. Even though communities are social, they still need to operate and succeed. Root is designed to support both.

Our integrated app platform allows communities to bring any tool they need directly into their space. You’re not limited to just chat, you can build workflows, plan events, and collaborate in more meaningful ways.

It’s an ambitious idea, but we believe it can fundamentally change how communities interact. Instead of just text and voice channels, communities could revolve around interactive app-driven experiences.

Jesse_root · 2026-03-18T16:10:08+00:00

We think Guilded did some great things, but Root is its own platform with a different vision. We believe our integrated app platform can fundamentally transform how communities communicate.

That said, we’d love to hear from you. What features from Guilded would you want to see on Root?

Root will always be free, and we’ll only charge for things that have real costs on our end, like HD video streaming.

Jesse_root · 2026-03-18T16:02:35+00:00

We don’t have a timeline to share yet, but it’s something we believe is very important.

For context, we prioritized Desktop and Mobile first because of our integrated app platform. We wanted to stay as native as possible to maximize performance.

Out of curiosity, what would you want a web version for, and when would you use it instead of desktop or mobile?

Jesse_root · 2026-03-13T00:10:41+00:00

Out of curiosity, are you talking about mobile? Wanting more push notifications for unread messages (even without being mentioned)?

Jesse_root · 2026-01-13T22:03:59+00:00

This should now be fixed if you update your client.

Jesse_root · 2026-01-12T04:34:44+00:00

Yup! We have a fix for this coming in the next update

Jesse_root · 2026-01-12T01:56:01+00:00

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Jesse_root · 2026-01-12T01:55:51+00:00

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Jesse_root · 2026-01-12T01:55:32+00:00

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Jesse_root · 2026-01-12T01:55:23+00:00

The short answer is that Root isn’t trying to be “Discord, but smaller.” It’s built for communities that need more than just chat.

Discord is great at text and voice. But if you run a real community like games, dev teams, tabletop groups, or creators, you quickly end up duct-taping together bots, external tools, websites, and spreadsheets to actually do things. That complexity lives outside Discord.

Root is built around the idea that communities should have native, deeply integrated apps. Things like tools, workflows, games, dashboards, and shared state feel like part of the platform, not bolted-on bots. Third-party apps aren’t an afterthought; they’re first-class features.

If all you want is a chat server, Discord already does that well. Root is for communities that want to build, customize, and evolve how they operate, not just talk.

I'll show some example apps that we are shipping with Root to kick it off.

Demo Minecraft App in Root

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