#243 – Kevin Systrom: Instagram
Lex Fridman Podcast
I made a lot of money, why is this not great?
The speaker and their team knew that Instagram was worth a lot, but there was no market to determine its exact value. The decision to sell Instagram resulted in a lot of attention and money, but the speaker did not feel great about it. Being on top and in the limelight is tough, and it left the speaker feeling miserable. The speaker realized that success does not automatically bring happiness and that they still had the same problems as before. The nature of negative attention and the feeling of having accomplished everything contributed to the lack of satisfaction. The speaker also referred to the 'we have arrived' syndrome, where one believes they have reached the peak and have nothing else to learn. However, the speaker learned a lot during their time at Instagram and realized that there is always more to learn and greater challenges to face. They emphasized the importance of choosing a game you love to play, even though it will be difficult and challenging.
