Wordle creator’s deal shows it’s still possible for an outsider to hit paydirt

The New York Times announces it has bought Wordle, the word puzzle created by Reddit software engineer Josh Wardle, a Welshman based in Brooklyn, for himself and his partner to combat boredom during confinement. Initially, just the two of them played the game, but by November, around 90 players had joined them after which it went viral, attracting 300,000 in early January, and with more than two million people currently playing regularly.

The acquisition, which according to the newspaper is “around the low seven-figure range,” makes the developer a millionaire overnight, and highlights the extent to which knowing how to turn ideas into code and a project with the right design can be the modern equivalent of striking gold in a society where viral processes are impossible to predict.

How did Wordle become a global sensation? It’s hard to say. Obviously, the game is an appealing challenge and is easy to play, but the decision of a player in New Zealand, where the game is particularly popular, to start posting his results on Twitter using a series of emojis, in an easy-to-interpret format for anyone who knew the game (and probably intriguing for those who didn’t), probably played a part. If you’ve looked at social networks at some point during the last few months, you’ve probably come…