How It Started vs. How It’s Going

"How It Started vs. How It's Going" is a viral Twitter meme format that pairs two side-by-side images to illustrate the contrast between a beginning state and a current outcome. The format was first popularized by Twitter user @vjillanelles on September 23, 2020, who posted two photos showing the progression of a romantic relationship, using the labels "how it started" and "how it ended" rather than the now-standard "how it's going" (Know Your Meme, 2024).

The original tweet featured a screenshot of a direct message conversation as the first image and a photo of the user embracing their partner as the second image, gaining over 25,000 likes, 1,100 retweets, and quote tweets within 14 days (Know Your Meme, 2024). This appears to be the first documented instance of the format, establishing the template that would quickly spread across social media platforms.

The meme format experienced rapid viral growth throughout late September and early October 2020. On September 24, Twitter user Taylor Phillips posted their version of the format, garnering over 60,000 likes and 10,000 retweets in 13 days (Know Your Meme, 2024). The trend continued to gain momentum as users began adapting the format from its original romantic context to broader applications including career progression, personal achievements, and ironic commentary.

As the format evolved, users began substituting "how it's going" for the original "how it ended," creating the now-standardized version of the meme. The format's flexibility allowed for both sincere celebrations of personal growth and satirical parodies. Popular variations included users posting identical images with "Single" and "Single" to humorously highlight their unchanged relationship status, or showing deteriorated situations for comedic effect.

The meme gained significant mainstream attention on October 7, 2020, when major media outlets including Yahoo News, ESPN, and The Indian Express began reporting on the trend (Know Your Meme, 2024). The same day marked a watershed moment when rapper Quavo posted his version using the labels "HOW I PULLED UP" and "HOW WE COMING," sharing screenshots of his original direct messages to Saweetie. His post included the now-famous pickup line "U so icy ima glacier boy," which itself became a viral meme phenomenon (Know Your Meme, 2024).

Corporate and verified Twitter accounts quickly adopted the format, with Xbox France, Young Money Records, and other brands using it for marketing purposes. The meme transcended its original relationship-focused context to become a versatile storytelling device used across industries, from technology companies showcasing product evolution to athletes celebrating career milestones.

The cultural resonance of "How It Started vs. How It's Going" during 2020 cannot be understated. As the world grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, economic uncertainty, and social upheaval, the format provided users with a framework to reflect on personal progress, share achievements, and find humor in challenging circumstances. The meme served both as a tool for genuine celebration and ironic commentary, allowing users to be earnest or satirical depending on their intent.

By the end of 2020, "How It Started vs. How It's Going" had become one of the year's most recognizable meme formats, frequently appearing in year-end cultural retrospectives and media analyses. Its enduring appeal lies in its structural simplicity and emotional versatility—two images and minimal text can convey complex narratives about progress, stagnation, success, or failure.

The format continues to be used across social media platforms, demonstrating the lasting impact of well-designed meme templates that can adapt to diverse contexts while maintaining their core communicative function. It represents a significant example of how Twitter-native content can rapidly expand beyond its original platform to become a universal form of digital storytelling.