This year was a bit of a crazy one. And you're probably ready to leave it behind. But now that 2016 is coming to a close, we're digging into the numbers and taking a look back at the most-read stories on our site this year. From a full scale WMATA shutdown to preparation for an epic blizzard to a growing local food delivery company, our most-read stories represent a wide-ranging sample of the news that DC Inno readers cared about the most. Oh, and SpaceX. People effing love SpaceX.
Here are the top 25 stories from 2016.
25. How to Survive When the Metro is (Mostly) Closed
It's been a rough year for WMATA and for D.C. commuters. This was our roundup of alternative transportation options.
24. Area Universities Compete to Build Elon Musk's Hyperloop Dream
Elon Musk's Hyperloop, a super fast mag-lev pod, took steps to become closer to reality this year, with a first official test. And some local universities went to Texas to compete to have their design used on the project.
In November, Harry Weller, a well-known and respected investor from NEA, passed away unexpectedly.
22. DC Will Rely on Snowplow Simulators, Beet Juice to Battle Blizzard
In preparation for January's massive snowstorm, the District deployed some unusual and innovative approaches to snow removal and response.
21. Loudoun County Could Get a Huge New Startup Incubator
If you build it, will they come? One giant development in Loudoun County sure thinks so.
20. Where 6 More SpaceX Alums Landed
SpaceX is a well known company known for pushing the boundaries of space travel and satellites, and it's driven by extraordinarily talented people. So where do they go work when they leave SpaceX?
19. Here's Uber's Key Advantage Over Taxis In One Chart
One chart! It's that easy.
18. Meet the 150 Finalists for 50 on Fire 2016
Who was heating up this year? We revealed our finalists for our end of the year awards.
17. WeWork's Ambitious Crystal City 'Experiment': WeLive
WeWork's "adult dorm" concept WeLive opened in Crystal City this year. It's one of just two WeLive projects in the world, and we got a look inside.
16. Everything You Need to Know About Traveling in DC This Weekend
How do you get around when the city gets two and a half feet of snow? A lot of people wanted to know.
15. Exclusive: New VC Fund Will Bring $10M to Minority Entrepreneurs in DC
Jason Towns has a new VC fund that will invest in minority entrepreneurs.
14. How Food Delivery Startup Galley Will Become DC's 'Biggest' Restaurant
Galley, a D.C.-based food delivery startup, had a big 2016. Here's their founding story and how they'll own the local food delivery market.
13. Here Are The 2016 DC Fest Coolest Companies Finalists
Who's cool? These companies.
12. Kara Swisher on Tech CEOs' Persistent Diversity Problem: 'They're F**king Lazy'
Swear words in titles are always a win. And Kara Swisher really didn't hold back in this one. She rightly calls out the lackadaisical efforts of some in the tech world when it comes to fostering diversity.
11. Want to Work for Elon Musk? Move to 1 of These 5 Cities
*clicks link* *packs bag*
10. Here's the Official 2016 DC Inno Tech Madness Bracket
How did your bracket hold up this year? Mine got busted in the second round, and a Cinderella story took home the title. The original 2016 upset, way before the Cubs won the World Series.
9. Here are the Coolest Companies of 2016
Winner, winner, chicken dinner. These are D.C.'s coolest companies.
8. 3 Things to Watch for From SpaceX This Spring
People just love SpaceX, man.
7. The Tech That Could Make a Splash at CES 2016
The stuff that everyone was checking out at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas this year.
6. Where 7 Former SpaceX Execs Landed
Told ya.
5. Why SpaceX Will Be at the Center of the NASA Hearings This Week
Ditto.
4. How Startups Will Take Advantage of DC's Weed Laws
D.C. kicked off 2016 with some new, very nebulous laws around the use and sale of marijuana. We found a few local startups that were looking to capitalize on that.
3. We Tried DC's New Weed-and-Juice Delivery Service. Here's What Happened.
Cold-pressed juice with a side of "love," delivered right to our office. See how it went.
2. Metro Will Shut Down for 29 Hours Wednesday
After a string of high-profile safety incidents, WMATA took the unprecedented step of shutting down the entire Metro system for over a day.
1. Kristian Bouw's Sticky-Notes Approach to Finding Virtual Reality's Killer App
This one was a surprise. Not because Notion Theory isn't an awesome company innovating in virtual reality, or because Kristian Bouw isn't a super interesting guy, but this post unexpectedly dominated our most-read metrics with little indication where the traffic came from. But hey, 2016 was a surprising year, so it kinda fits.
