In the summer of 2005, right before Comic-Con, Collider launched. At the time, I was optimistic about what the site could be, but looking back now, I was so unprepared for the amount of work it would take to turn an unknown website into something millions of people would want to read.

Keep in mind, in 2005, the studios and networks didn’t know how to deal with entertainment websites. They didn’t have any employees focused on the digital world. I remember cold calling movie studios asking to get access to press screenings. When I asked about getting access for Collider, it was like I was speaking Latin. But slowly the studios and networks started to get onboard and we all know where we ended up.

It’s also a bit crazy to look back on 2005 and realize how the internet has changed. At the time, Myspace was the leading social media website and there wasn’t a second option. Facebook had only launched in 2004 but it was exclusively on college campuses. Twitter wouldn’t go mainstream for a few more years. Also, if you were lucky enough to have a cable modem, your internet connection was always an issue. What was considered high speed back then you couldn’t give away now. Back in 2005, trying to watch a video online meant viewing a small Quicktime player and you were lucky if it was clear enough to see someone’s face.

But enough about the technology changes.

The main thing I wanted to say on Collider’s fifteen birthday is thank you.

Thank you to every person that wrote an article for us in the early years when we had very little money.

Thank you to every single employee through the years, whose hard work, dedication, and thoughtful insight made Collider a website worth reading.

Thank you to every movie studio, network, publicist, director, actor, producer, and all the people I can’t fit in here for taking the time to talk to Collider.

Thank you to all the people that have worked on the technical side that has allowed us to stay online even when the traffic has gone ballistic.

But, most of all, THANK YOU to every single Collider reader for visiting the website or watching our videos and allowing us to cover an industry I truly love.

When I think back to my tiny bedroom in a too-small apartment where Collider started and see where we are now, I’m nothing but grateful.