IRC Channel as Startup Incubator

In the past few years, some of the most revolutionary software emerged not from Silicon Valley startups or high-powered universities, but from a humble online chat room.

Many in the tech industry are beginning to recognize that a string of influential concepts can be traced to a single Internet Relay Chat channel called #Winprog.

The IRC channel has played virtual incubator to a gamut of fledgling developers for more than a decade, helping Shawn Fanning polish the earliest versions of Napster and acting as code consultancy when Gnutella developer Justin Frankel wrote Winamp.

Devotees say the channel has become an under-the-radar institution to the Windows programming world. Many of its veterans have landed jobs at leading technology firms, and Microsoft staff even tap regulars for help with their own operating system.

It’s better, members say, than any Silicon Valley business park.

"Except for not having any cash, #Winprog puts most tech incubators to shame," said Ben Knauss, a channel veteran and Microsoft consultant who has managed several big software projects, including the software that powered the first iPod.

By Robert Andrews

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