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The Inside Story of Instagram

Sarah Frier

Copy Machine

Imitation powers both learning and conformity.

Systrom had told his communications team that he would acknowledge to the press that the Stories format was a Snapchat invention that Instagram had copied, and that was why they had the same name. ... All the major headlines used some version of the word “copy” in them. By not denying it, Systrom took the momentum out of the criticism. He explained that it was just a new form of communication, like email or text messaging, and that just because Snapchat invented it didn’t mean that other companies should avoid using the same opportunity.
Desperate Pivots

Desperation, not genius, drove transformative pivots.

Krieger and Systrom kept typing, trying to ignore their peers, wondering if everyone else was less worried than they were about running out of money. ... If they got hungry before then, they’d buy the sandwich on special for $3.40 at the local bodega. They had to save money because they weren’t sure how long it would take to make Burbn successful, or if it would even be successful.