# How It Started vs How It's Going > How It Started vs How It's Going is a 2020 Twitter photo-trend using side-by-side image pairs that contrast humble beginnings with later success, typically celebrating personal milestones and growth. How It Started vs. How It's Going is a Twitter photo trend where users post two side-by-side images comparing a humble beginning to a later outcome, typically a success story. The format took off in late September 2020 when relationship posts using the template went viral, and within two weeks it had spread to sports teams, corporate accounts, and mainstream media coverage[3]. The trend became a rare bright spot during an otherwise bleak year, giving people a way to celebrate personal milestones and growth. ## Origin On September 23, 2020, Twitter user @vjillanelles posted a tweet with a screenshot of a DM conversation as the first image and a photo of her and her partner together as the second[3]. The tweet picked up over 25,000 likes and 1,100 retweets within two weeks. This appears to be the first instance of the trend, and notably used "how it ended" rather than "how it's going" as the second label[3]. The timing was significant. By late September 2020, people were deep into pandemic fatigue. As Bored Panda noted, the deadly pandemic, police brutality protests, and political crises had left social media users stuck in a cycle of doomscrolling through bad news[1]. The trend offered a counterweight, giving people a reason to share something positive. - **Platform:** Twitter - **Creator:** @vjillanelles (original poster) - **Date:** 2020 ## Overview The format is simple: two photos arranged sequentially under the captions "How it started" and "How it's going." The first image shows a beginning point, often something modest or awkward, while the second shows where things ended up. Early versions focused on romantic relationships, with users sharing their first DM conversations alongside current couple photos[3]. The format quickly expanded beyond dating to cover career achievements, personal growth, sports milestones, and ironic self-deprecating humor[1]. What made the trend stick was its flexibility. The same two-panel structure could carry a wholesome success story, a sports team's legacy, or a joke about things going sideways. The variant label "How It Ended" was used interchangeably with "How It's Going," and rapper Quavo popularized his own spin with "How I Pulled Up" and "How We Coming"[3]. ## How It Spread The format caught fire fast. On September 24, 2020, Twitter user Taylor Phillips posted her own version, pulling in over 60,000 likes and 10,000 retweets within 13 days[3]. The next day, user @serinide added another take that picked up 4,700 likes[3]. By early October, the trend had shifted. Users moved beyond genuine relationship posts into broader categories and parody territory. On October 4, user @MahmudMay12 posted a self-deprecating version[3]. The next day, @WonnJamesss dropped a parody that racked up 13,500 likes and 7,700 retweets in just two days[3]. Corporate and verified accounts jumped in around October 7. Xbox France posted a comparison of old and new Flight Simulator graphics[3]. Young Money's label account put up a photo of Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj alongside goats, pulling 5,200 likes[3]. That same day, Quavo posted his version featuring a DM to Saweetie where he opened with a snowflake emoji and the line "U so icy ima glacier boy," which became its own sub-meme as people copied the pickup approach[3]. The sports world went all in. ESPN covered the trend on October 6, with teams and athletes across professional sports sharing their own versions[2]. The coverage highlighted everything from Lionel Messi as a kid paired with his career highs, to Kylian Mbappé holding two different World Cup trophies, to Steve Kerr looking suspiciously unaged across decades[2]. Teams from the NFL, NBA, college sports, and international soccer all participated[2]. Mainstream media picked up the story on October 7, with coverage from Yahoo News, ESPN, Bored Panda, and The Indian Express[3]. ## How to Use The format follows a straightforward template: 1. Pick a starting point. This is typically an early, unglamorous, or modest moment. First DM conversations, childhood photos, early career snapshots, and draft day pictures all work well. 2. Pick an endpoint. This should show where things landed. Graduation photos, career milestones, championship trophies, or current relationship status are common choices. 3. Label the first image "How it started" (or "How I started") and the second "How it's going" (or "How it ended"). 4. Post both images together in a single tweet or social media post. ## Cultural Impact The trend hit at a moment when people were desperate for positive content. Rebecca Renner's reporting for National Geographic, referenced in Bored Panda's coverage, described how the constant cycle of scary news had pushed people into compulsive doomscrolling[1]. The "How It Started" format gave users a reason to post something uplifting instead. Boston University marketing professor Carey Morewedge's research on "rosy retrospection" helps explain the trend's appeal. People naturally remember the past more positively than it actually was, and the format leaned into that bias by framing personal histories as clean origin-to-success arcs[1]. The trend's crossover into professional sports was notable. Rather than just individual fans participating, official team accounts and league media departments created their own versions, turning the meme into a form of fan engagement and brand storytelling[2]. Quavo's contribution on October 7 generated its own spinoff trend, with Twitter users sending snowflake emojis and the "U so icy ima glacier boy" pickup line to potential romantic interests[3]. ## Fun Facts - The very first "How It Started" post used "How It Ended" as the second label, not "How It's Going"[3]. - Quavo's DM opener to Saweetie, "U so icy ima glacier boy," became a standalone meme that outlived many people's memory of the original trend[3]. - ESPN's coverage noted that Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr appeared to have barely aged between his "started" and "going" photos[2]. - Historian Erika Harlitz-Kern from Florida International University pointed out that even the term "Gilded Age" is an example of rosy retrospection, the same psychological bias that powers the trend[1]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is How It Started vs. How It's Going? It's a social media photo trend where users post two images comparing a starting point to a current or final state, typically showing personal growth or achievement[3]. ### Where did How It Started vs. How It's Going come from? Twitter user @vjillanelles posted the first known version on September 23, 2020, sharing a DM screenshot alongside a couple photo[3]. ### What does How It Started vs. How It's Going mean? The format shows a before-and-after comparison. It can be used sincerely to show progress or ironically to show stagnation[1]. ### How do you use How It Started vs. How It's Going? Post two photos side by side. Label the first "How it started" and the second "How it's going." The first image should show a beginning and the second should show a result[3]. ### Is How It Started vs. How It's Going still popular? The trend peaked in October 2020 but the format is widely recognized and still gets used for milestone posts and throwback comparisons[1]. ### Who started the trend? Twitter user @vjillanelles created the first known post on September 23, 2020, using a relationship-themed version with the label "How it ended"[3]. ### Why did the trend go viral in 2020? The trend offered a rare positive outlet during a year dominated by pandemic anxiety, political crisis, and social unrest. People were stuck doomscrolling through bad news and the format gave them something uplifting to share[1]. ### What was Quavo's contribution to the trend? On October 7, 2020, Quavo posted his version with custom labels "How I Pulled Up" and "How We Coming," featuring his original DM to Saweetie. The pickup line "U so icy ima glacier boy" became its own meme[3]. ### Did sports teams participate? Yes. Professional teams across the NFL, NBA, international soccer, and college sports all created official versions. ESPN covered the sports participation extensively on October 6, 2020[2]. ### Did brands use the format? Corporate accounts including Xbox France and Young Money Records posted their own versions starting around October 7, 2020[3]. ## References 1. [30 Wholesome 'How It Started vs. How It's Going' Posts | Bored Panda]() 2. [Sports social media gets in on 'How it started, how it's going' - ESPN]() 3. [How It Started Vs How Its Going - Know Your Meme]() 4. [List of How I Met Your Mother characters]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/how-it-started-vs-going Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library