Recap: Public AMA - September 2025
We just wrapped up our first Public AMA on Discord in a long time - it was great to connect directly with you all again! Thank you to everyone who came by, asked questions, and shared feedback.
Hosted by Community Coordinator and Operations Lead, Xiuh, and joined by Chief Executive Officer, Mike Veldsink AKA Veld, here’s a recap:
Q: How has this past year been since you have returned as the main developer for Top.gg?
“I was first introduced to Top.gg a few years ago, and it was a good time that I hold very dear. Since coming back, I believe we have now created a culture that is a bit more chilled out, and I hope that we can continue this trend where our users and developers come first. It has been very busy but rewarding - we have been rolling out a lot of improvements and features more consistently and as smoothly as possible.
I want the platform to feel like a home for everyone who is invested and involved with Top.gg. I want to create a space where we listen to anyone who has a project, bot, or server, and that we are providing transparency by giving creators input to feel like they are included in the development process, so that we can build the best possible Top.gg.”
Q: How do you achieve a proper work/life balance? Do you have a schedule for your daily routines?
“I am not the best when it comes to achieving this, particularly with my sleep schedule. I tend to figure out what is best for me, I like to work in short bursts and think about things on the fly.”
“Veld doesn’t sleep and shower, very stinky” - CocaCola
“HEY I SEE THAT! I like to shower!”
Xiuh: “It differs across the team, I am the complete opposite, I believe in maintaining a work/life balance, I like to ensure that I can spend time with my family, but also believe that the ultimate goal is to find out what works best for you.”
Q: What are some of the most valuable things you have learned working on Top.gg in the past few years?
“Historically, we have struggled with migrations, this is due to how old the product is, but with careful overhauls on infrastructure, databases and systems, this has paid off and made the site faster and more stable. I take these lessons to heart to ensure that changes are quality and ready to go out, even if this means pushing things out a bit slowly.”
Q: What are your plans to bring more content and features to try to gain an edge over competitors like the App Directory?
“The biggest thing that Top.gg can guarantee is ensuring that users can measurably see a sense of growth - for example, rewriting and improving our analytics system, looking at how bots are actively used in your servers. One thing in particular, would be focusing on recommendations and how we give you a more personalised view on what we think you may enjoy based on previous activity. I believe this sets us apart from other competitors.”
Q: If you had to give one piece of advice for someone interested in development or building a product, what would it be?
“It depends on what stage you are at, but if you’re just starting out, just start building. Today’s tools make it easier than ever to jump in, there is nothing to stop you from downloading VS Code, use AI tools if they help, and begin experimenting. The deeper layers of understanding will come with time. An analogy would be to start swimming until you can no longer hold your breath.”
Q: What would you say is the next big thing for Top.gg? What is the end goal?
“I think there are a lot of different avenues to explore, such as analytics, overhauling the ads and auction systems so that it is more compliant and an overall better experience. I don’t plan to stop working on Top.gg anytime soon, and the biggest thing that I am looking forward to working on is turning Top.gg into a multi-faceted platform that serves bot developers, server owners, and the wider community. We are taking the time to build and produce things right - with your input along the way.”
What's Next?
✨ NEW: Bot Commands
A brand-new page where users can see all the commands your bot offers. Developers can submit these commands directly through the API or the dashboard, making bot pages more informative and user-friendly.
✨ NEW: API
We’ve rolled out a new cross-platform API designed to support not just bots, but also servers - and any future platforms we add. This lays the foundation for faster development and greater flexibility moving forward.
🔜 Webhooks V2
Our current webhook system works well for bots but isn’t ideal for servers. We’re developing a more platform-agnostic version that any project on Top.gg can use to reward users for votes. Planned improvements include:
- Tracking whether a webhook was fired and acknowledged
- Providing creators with statistics on missed deliveries
- Error monitoring and spike notifications for better reliability
🔜 Top.gg Ads
We’re redesigning our ad system to meet industry standards. The first iteration will take the best aspects of Auctions while removing pain points like manual time-based bidding. Over time, we’ll introduce features like automatic optimization to help creators get the most out of their campaigns.
🔜 Personalised Recommendations
We’re building smarter discovery tools that recommend bots, servers, and content based on your previous activity on the platform. The goal is to deliver more relevant, tailored results for every user.
Community Questions
- Will we see more requested features like activities?
“Yes! They’re on the radar, though higher-priority projects come first.”
- Install methods for bots?
“Old sketches exist, but it needs to be implemented at the right time.”
- Can server counts be hidden if a bot doesn’t submit data?
“That’s the intention - if data isn’t available, it shouldn’t display “0.”
- Cats or dogs?
“No pets at the moment, but I did have a childhood cat.”
- Next travel destination?
“I am planning to go to Athens very soon, and perhaps London and Japan in the near future!”
Closing Thoughts
This AMA was an important step in reconnecting with the community, sharing what we’ve been working on, and hearing directly from you. Your feedback, questions, and even the lighthearted moments remind us why we do this: to build a platform that truly serves and grows with its community.
We’re committed to continuing this transparency and dialogue, and we can’t wait to share more updates with you soon.
Our next Public AMA will be on 6th December 2025 at 7 PM CEST - we hope to see you there!
