Lex Fridman Podcast

#243 – Kevin Systrom: Instagram

Nov 23, 2021

Kevin Systrom, co-founder and former CEO of Instagram, shares his journey from a check-in app to a visual storytelling giant. He discusses the pivotal moments in Instagram's development and highlights the importance of user engagement and community building. Systrom dives into the challenges of navigating its acquisition by Facebook, reflecting on the emotional and strategic complexities involved. The conversation also touches on redefining social media metrics and integrating machine learning with social responsibility, revealing insights into the tech industry's evolving landscape.

02:52:38

Creator website

Episode guests

Kevin Systrom

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Choose the Game You Love To Play

01:50

You Can Ask All You Want, but Data Doesn't Lie

02:00

Why Facebook Worked so Well in the Beginning

01:07

Achieving Product-Market Fit Before Scaling

00:44

Intro

2min

The Art of Ambitious Engineering and Charitable Giving

3min

The Origin Story of a Social Media Revolution

3min

The Birth of Instagram

19min

Enhancing User Experience through Latency Management

8min

Building Community Through Apps

3min

Building the Future of Social Media

23min

Rethinking Social Media Metrics

7min

Navigating the Sale of Instagram

12min

10.

Navigating Entrepreneurial Dilemmas

11min

11.

Navigating Social Media Evolution

26min

12.

The Balance of Effort and Rest in Silicon Valley

10min

13.

Navigating Leadership and Feedback

16min

14.

Navigating Product Development and Machine Learning

11min

15.

Passion-Driven Entrepreneurship

14min

16.

Exploring Purpose and Meaning Beyond Material Success

4min

Kevin Systrom is the co-founder and former CEO of Instagram. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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EPISODE LINKS:
Kevin’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevin/
Kevin’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevin
Kevin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinsystrom

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OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(08:26) – Origin of Instagram
(50:33) – New social networks
(1:09:38) – Selling Instagram to Facebook
(1:32:40) – Features
(1:36:47) – Facebook
(2:13:28) – Whistleblower
(2:24:47) – Machine learning
(2:34:45) – Advice for startups
(2:40:37) – Money
(2:46:37) – Love
(2:48:54) – Meaning of life

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