Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram, shares fascinating insights about scaling startups and the importance of smart decision-making. He discusses the fine art of balancing control and productivity while navigating the challenges of success. Systrom reveals a game-changing purchase he made when Instagram took off and reflects on the feelings of FOMO that arose from his success. He also offers strategies for efficiently reading books and emphasizes the need to stay grounded in the face of fame and wealth.
48:12
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Decision Bottlenecks
Kevin Systrom read "The Goal" and applied its manufacturing bottleneck principles to decision-making at Instagram.
They inventoried outstanding decisions, prioritized easy ones, and then tackled the complex decisions in focused meetings.
insights INSIGHT
Agility Over Size
Instagram's early struggles with scaling were shared by other tech companies like Twitter and Foursquare.
Their unique approach and smaller size, which allowed for agility, were key advantages against larger, slower-moving competitors.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Day One Success
Kevin Systrom knew Instagram was special from day one due to the high signup rate, which he hadn't seen with other startups.
Despite not having long-term retention data, he felt confident that they had created something meaningful.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
The book tells the story of Alex Rogo, a factory manager who is given three months to improve his underperforming plant or face its closure. With the guidance of his former physics professor, Jonah, Alex learns to apply the Theory of Constraints to identify and manage bottlenecks in the production process. Through this approach, Alex and his team transform the factory, improving efficiency, reducing inventory, and increasing profitability. The novel uses the Socratic method to teach fundamental business concepts and emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement and critical thinking in management[2][4][5].
Kevin Systrom (@kevin) is a computer programmer and entrepreneur who co-founded Instagram in 2010 with Mike Krieger. This is part two of a two-part episode. Make sure to catch part one here!
What We Discuss with Kevin Systrom:
How Kevin and Mike made decisions at Instagram to best avoid project-crippling bottlenecks.
Why checking yourself is a good way to ensure that you are less likely to wreck yourself.
The game-changing but simple purchase Kevin made when Instagram became a verifiable success.
Has Instagram contributed to Kevin's own feelings of FOMO?
The strategy Kevin employs for reading books with optimal efficiency.
The James Altucher Show brings you into the lives of peak-performers: billionaires, best-selling authors, rappers, astronauts, athletes, comedians, actors, and world champions! Check it out here! (Or wherever you prefer listening to podcasts in your ear-holes!)