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FirstVersion
p/tech-giants-first-versionsRebuilding the first versions of great products with AI.
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FirstVersion - Rebuilding the first versions of great products with AI

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FirstVersion takes you on a journey through time, recreating the first versions of today’s tech giants with AI, collaboratively refined and maintained by the community – and updated for free. You can also duplicate them for free and build your own versions.

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Maker
📌
Hi PH community! On the final day of 2024, I’m excited to share FirstVersion which showcases the first versions of iconic tech companies, rebuilt by AI, along with their inspiring startup stories. Why FirstVersion?🚀 Every great product began with a simple Version 1.0. FirstVersion takes you on a journey through time, recreating the humble beginnings of today’s tech giants to showcase how simplicity and focus sparked their success. We hope this inspires you to embrace simplicity, solve real problems, and take that first step toward your own great product! Google (1998) YouTube (2005) Product Hunt (2013) Airbnb (2008) Twitter (2006) X.com (1999) Yahoo! (1994) eBay (2002) FirstVersion itself and all the recreated websites are built using Trickle AI, collaboratively refined and maintained by the community. The project will be continually updated and is completely free. Why did we decide to launch this on PH?🐱 Product Hunt is the birthplace of countless innovative ideas and products. Every day, solomakers and entrepreneurs launch their "Version One" here, just as the tech giants did in their early days. And as 2024 closes, I wanted to honor the past while inspiring the next wave of tech pioneers. Special thanks to archive.org, firstversions.com, and versionmuseum.com for preserving these historical snapshots and screenshots, making our rebuilds possible. 🫶
Maker
@victoria_wu We'll keep updating this project. Let us know what products you'd like to see, and join our community to help build this together.
Business Marketing with Nika
🔌 Plugged in
You got me with this. I kinda love history so this is like living the "old good days" once again. Cool idea! Wish you all the best! 😃🥂
Maker
@busmark_w_nika Thank you so much, Nika! Yeah. These successful startup stories have been inspiring me, hoping that one day we can also create such successful products. Finally, I wish you a Happy New Year!! 😊
Maker
@busmark_w_nika Those products from the late 90s to early 2000s were with me throughout my student years. They sparked my initial desire to create something meaningful.
AuroraW
Super cool! Happy new year to the team:)
Maker
@auroraw Thank you so much for your support！❤️Happy new year!!!
Maker
@auroraw Thanks a lot! Happy New Year to you as well. Let’s make it a great one!
Maker
@auroraw Thanks, Aurora! Wishing you a wonderful year ahead.
Leo Liu
💎 Pixel perfection
omg i was always wondering about how the original youtube looks. this is super fun. these are the real mvps!!
Maker
@llfearless619 Thanks for your kind words, Leo. This truly feels like the ultimate rewind at the very end of 2024.
Maker
@llfearless619 I'm happy you like it! Thanks, Leo.
Ryan Hoover
Ha! Love this. Request for first version: AIM.
Maker
@rrhoover Beyond the UI, it might need some comms services too. Love this idea, definitely worth a shot!
Maker
@rrhoover Aha! Copy that! (Researching & AI building..) I'm happy you like it! 😄 Wishing you the best of luck in 2025! 🍀
Juan Secchi
🔌 Plugged in
This is so right for a 31st of December! It's great to see how the big ones started. Makes me want to start something too!
Maker
@juans Yes! It's a perfect time to look back at the humble beginnings of tech giants. The psychological impact of seeing these simple V1s is powerful - reminds everyone that even the biggest companies started with an MVP. Wishing you the best of luck in 2025, Juan! 🎉
Maker
@juans Honored to share something meaningful through PH on the last day of 2024.
William Scott
This is such a nostalgic and inspiring idea! 🚀 It’s incredible to see how these tech giants started with such humble beginnings, yet they solved real problems and grew into the icons we know today. FirstVersion feels like a tribute to the power of simplicity and just starting.
Maker
@williamrobertscott Thank you so much! That’s exactly what we hoped to capture with FirstVersion.
Maker
@williamrobertscott Thank you for your support and liking. Happy New Year!
Nancy Le
Congrats team. What a fantastic project!
Maker
@nancy_autonomous Thanks, Nancy! ❤️
Maker
@nancy_autonomous Thank you so much, Nancy!
EthanYu
Fascinating project! As someone who's been in tech for years, FirstVersion fills a crucial educational gap in our industry. What I love most: 1. The AI reconstruction approach is brilliant - it's not just about showing screenshots, but actually rebuilding functional versions 2. The community-driven refinement ensures accuracy and continuous improvement 3. The ability to duplicate and build upon these first versions is incredibly valuable for learning Suggestion for future development: Consider adding a timeline feature showing key pivotal changes that led to today's version. This could help founders understand critical decision points in product evolution. Question for the team: How do you ensure the AI reconstructions are as accurate as possible to the original versions? Do you cross-reference with historical data or early employees? This is exactly the kind of tool I wish existed when I started building products. It's like having a time machine for product development! 🚀
Maker
@ethanyu Thrilled you caught everything we wanted to convey! Love your timeline suggestion, I'm actually considering recreating different eras of Google. Seems like a perfect fit. About accuracy: We have different people handling each project, using archived snapshots, screenshots, and founder blogs to ensure accuracy. It takes careful human guidance to tell the AI which details need tweaking and iteration. We've put considerable effort into each rebuild. Happy to share this meaningful project on 2024's final day. We'll keep updating with more!
Maker
@ethanyu Wow!! You totally got our point, Ethan! And I'm sooo happy you love it! Your suggestion about the timeline is great! We will include it in the plan. Thank you very much!! And happy holidays!😄
Daniel S
Very niche, congrats on the launch!
Maker
@dan16 Thanks, Daniel!
Maker
@dan16 Thank you so much, Daniel! Happy new year! 🎉
Zhiqi Shi
People always remember success but forget how it all started. This product really makes people reflect. Congrats!
Maker
@zhiqi_shi Success often follows patterns. Hope this can inspire all makers here!
Zeng
Congratulations! Love this idea and I love Trickle
Maker
@zeng Thank you sooo much, Zeng!! I really appreciate your support! Happy new year!😊
Ndamulelo Nemakhavhani
Very interesting to see that companies wr know as giants today really focused on the core parts of their applications when they started, nothing fancy. I'm inspired!
Maker
@ndamulelonemakh Yes, Ndamulelo. Even tech giants started from an MVP back in the day. 🤔
Ndamulelo Nemakhavhani
@victoria_wu absolutely, I relate very much to this product as I have a numbe of ideas I have been struggling to launch by trying to get everything in the first go, but after doing my research I have realised 1-3 features that make my app stand out are more than enough. Sometimes you dont even need to have it all working before getting people to back you. This product is just a confirmation of what I've been realising recently ✈️
Maker
@ndamulelonemakh Totally agree!
Israt Jahan
🚀 Big congrats on launching FirstVersion! 🎉 As someone who understands how crucial those early iterations are, I love how you're tackling the often-overlooked challenges of turning an idea into a tangible product. The focus on simplicity and iteration is exactly what creators need to avoid the paralysis of perfection. The demo looks seamless, and it’s clear how much thought has gone into making this intuitive for users at any stage of their product journey. Quick question: How does FirstVersion handle user feedback loops to guide future iterations? I’d love to hear more about how you see this evolving for creators as they scale. Wishing you massive success—I'll be keeping an eye out for updates! 🚀
Maker
@isratjahan17 Thank you for your kind words and support! We value user feedback. We're committed to continuously refining and enhancing FirstVersion based on what our users find most valuable. Stay tuned!
Robert Jay
I love this! Makes me very nostalgic and its inspiring to see how far these companies have come
Vicky
Maker
@rj_miller7 Thanks for your kind words, miller! ❤️
Julian Götze
What a ride! That's what I call nostalgia, love to see it grow :)
Maker
@juliangoetze Thanks, Julian! We’ll keep updating it!
Richard Song
I love the concept of FirstVersion, @victoria_wu! Reimagining the initial versions of tech giants is a brilliant way to inspire new creators. The use of AI to bring these early stages back to life is fascinating. Could there be a feature to compare these first versions with their current counterparts to highlight their evolution? That could provide some great learning moments for aspiring entrepreneurs!
Maker
@renchu_song Thank you for your kind words, Richard. And great idea!! We plan to add a timeline later so that you can see the evolution of these websites. Stay tuned!
Tushar Jain
Loved the name FirstVersion
Maker
@tushj Yes! I think this name is clear enough.
Feliciana
Happy New Year to the team! I like the concept of FirstVersion! Very interesting. Will there be the first version of Instagram?
Maker
@feliciana_liu Thank you for your kind words! Sure. I'll put it to the list. Wishing you the best in 2025!
Mingyu
Wow Trickle! That's helpful!