A #NoFilter Look at Insta-Change
Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger announced they will be stepping down from their positions as, respectively, chief executive and chief technology officer.
In a statement on the company blog and—of course—an Insta post, the founders of the photo-sharing app-turned-social media network shared, “We’re now ready for our next chapter.”
The announcement raised a few eyebrows for its unexpected timing and nontraditional platform—though a little disruption should come as no surprised from the duo who transformed communication for over one billion people and businesses.
While some are reading into their brief statement, at Evoke we’re taking it at face value—#NoFilter.
“We’re planning on leaving Instagram to explore our curiosity and creativity again. Building new things requires that we step back, understand what inspires us and match that with what the world needs; that’s what we plan to do.”
We know well that curiosity fuels innovation.
For those of us #InstaFans following the founders over the years, their statement brings to mind Systrom’s 2016 interview for How I Built This, a radio show about innovators, entrepreneurs and the stories behind the movements they built.
Systrom shared an anecdote about escaping burnout with a vacation during the earliest stages of the Instagram prototype. While strolling the beach with his wife, their conversation inspired the key addition of filters to make the app more user-friendly. Sometimes, a little fresh air and room for your creativity to wander can make all the difference.
We believe Instagram will remain a growth engine for parent company Facebook. During the eight years since launching their prototype, and six years after Facebook’s acquisition of the company, Krieger and Systrom worked to set the standards that brought in over one billion users. Their idea grew from a company to a lifestyle, and the community maintains that momentum.
Now it’s time for the prodigious pair to work on their next creative ventures while Instagram continues innovating within the capable hands of the Facebook team.
Will the app change after they leave? Sure; we’ve witnessed changes since the earliest days of social media marketing. Our team is trained to seamlessly anticipate and adapt, and we’ve learned that change is not a bad thing when it comes to technology. Instagram is always evolving to meet the needs of its users. Likewise, our team continues staying plugged-in to platforms like Instagram, Facebook and all the other integrated channels that keep today’s conversations fresh.
As always, we’ll stay focused on what Facebook is doing and keep in touch with how communities are interacting and look ahead to what’s next from Instagram and its co-founders.