Instagram Founders Depart from Facebook
I guess you heard the major news today?
Today Instagram founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Kreiger resigned from Facebook due to growing tensions with CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the direction of Instagram.
Instagram has been owned by Facebook since 2012 when they bought out Instagram for $1 Billion; however Systrom and Krieger have been up until today recognized as the creative geniuses behind Instagram.
It's most notable that Systrom and Krieger stayed on for six years after Facebook purchased their platform for $1 Billion. Both founders were still deeply involved with Instagram: Systrom was CEO and Krieger served as chief technology officer.
Now the great question is what ha ppens to the business they started, and what will that mean for its owner, Facebook. It's uncertain what Instagram's future will look like without the original duo at the helm.
Instagram Operated Independently
One of the key hallmarks of Instagram has been its independence and uniqueness from Facebook. The founders closely guarded that. Instagram largely operated as a standalone company within Facebook, and now some of that autonomy could disappear.
Although Instagram may be only be a small part of the overall company's current revenue, Facebook needs Instagram more than ever even without its founders as it is the key to attracting a younger audience.
Recently in June 2018 achieving 1 Billion monthly users worldwide, Instagram has become an immensely popular platform for young people. It's also been a one of the few bright spots for Facebook amid a tumultuous time for the platform.
Facebook User Growth Slowing
Facebook user growth has been slowing: The platform added 22 million daily active users globally during the most recent quarter, compared to 41 million during the same period last year. That is a 46% decline in growth.
The behemoth saw the biggest single day stock drop in history after its most recent earnings call in July. I wrote about it in my past post.
Facebook Biggest Single Day Massacre
It warned sales growth may decline as the company prioritizes new formats like Stories and offers users "more choice around privacy."
Will Instagram Stay Creative?
Facebook will need to walk a fine line. On the one hand, it surely doesn't want to deviate too much from the core Instagram experience that users currently enjoy; on the other, a social network that doesn't evolve at all can quickly grow stale, and it will need to add new features to stay fresh and competitive.
There are some popular features on Facebook that Instagram has already adapted such as tools like messaging, and the ability to mute users and indications showing whether someone is online. It also allows users to post Instagram photos to Facebook, and prompts users to add their Facebook friends on Instagram.
However, Instagram has also rolled out plenty of its own original features -- and copied some tools from other platforms, such as the Stories format, which was pioneered by Snapchat.
What is your opinion?
With the creative geniuses behind Instagram now gone, will Instagram continue to flourish creatively with Zuckerberg installing his own new executives for the platform, or will Instagram quickly turn stale?
Cheers,
Kaju
Recent Comments
77
It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Systrom and Krieger have already said they will be working on a new project.
And it’s true there are other platforms coming to life as we speak. (I just joined Webtalk)
Time will tell.
Thanks Kaju!
KyleAnn
Interested to hear about Webtalk, KA. Lots of new interesting platforms coming down the pipeline.
Let's hope the new change will be for the best.
K
Wow, who needs the news : )
I had no idea about this nor about Sirius XM buying Pandora. I have SiriusXM in the car and LOVE IT/
As for FaceBook I have had issues with it and like it less and less everyday.
I don't even use instagram. Dang It. Guess I am not young and hip enough for it.
Thank you for sharing this though. I had others tell me I need to use instagram . Think I will wait to see what happens.
I am interested in getting Pinterest figured out.
Thank you Kaju
Awesome as always
Lee Ann
Hey Lee Ann,
Good to see and thanks for catchin' up!
We will have to hope for the best, and as my partner has an Instagram business, how FB now controls the platform will have an indirect effect on business moving forward.
I would like to believe that FB will put in place creative minds who will keep IG going stronger than ever,it is currently the fastest growing platform in social media:)
Check out my Instagram training id you want to learn some basics and "stories".
Best,
Kaju
Thank you my friend.
I am going to search for it right now.
Do you have training on FaceBook too?
I'll look while going through your training.
Thank you my friend
Lee ann
I'll make it easier for you Lee Ann, here's the training: Instagram 101: Posts and Reposts with Canva, Part 1 Instagram 101: Reposting Instagram Images, Part 2 Instagram Stories, Part 1 Hope you can get something useful from it.
K
Aww you are to sweet.
I beat you to it though.
I wasn't wasting no time.
I bookmarked 5 trainings I believe.
There was one for FaceBook that I have already tried. ChezBrown and I had difficulty with it.
I am going to give it a go again, as I am not sure how long ago it was. I may have just still been green behind the ears : )
Tag your it.
No tag backs lol
Lee Ann
No one is indispensable. I have heard it many times in my career. I read this news in yahoo finance.
I was surprised they were with fb so long.
I will watch and wait how CEO handles the replacement.
I saw that very same article earlier and I intended to go back to read it for the same reason but alas, you beat me too it. I do hope that Instagram does not just turn stale and disappear as that would be a real shame on the two guys but, they didn't think too much about it that they could just up and walk out.
Will be very interesting to see what happens next. xxxx
Yeah, we will have to wait and see and hope for the best C. They mus have really been frustrated with Zuck to walk out like that. Granted they are all billionaires anyway.
That's true, they must have been and as you say they are all billionaires. I wouldn't like though to think that this was my baby that I started and got it up and running and then someone else could bring it to it's knees again.
I was thinking about Felicia and all the work she has done with her seminars and hope that they have not all been for nothing if Instagram is left to just go stale. xxxx
Yeah, we were just discussing this last night. We are very concerned about how Facebook might try to change Instagram now.
Yes, it's worrying waiting to see what is going to happen. Hopefully they won't change it too much if even at all. xxx
They should bring in some creative geniuses to replace the former founders and just allow Instagram to run autonomously.
I totally agree with you on that one and at least there would be more chance of it being safe. xxx
Yes Jim, very interesting. With the creative geniuses now gone, I just hope FB doesn't screw up Instagram!
Thanks so much again Jim The Fin:) I have a new You Tube channel where I'm producing great content.
Check out our great Tokyo story as well as my Efren Reyes match win video play by play:)
Send me your YT link and I will Subscribe. You can Subscribe to my channel here:)
http://bit.ly/2T21P2N
If you don't yet, I will happily return the favor when yours is up.:)
I read this in the NYT early this morning and was very surprised. My first question, of course, why? And as you questioned, what happens to the company?
I'm not aware of any scandals or financial wrong-doing however they are a part of Facebook.
Very interesting indeed.
Which brings up another similar situation and concern - Sirius xm bought Pandora today. I love Pandora and am wondering what will become of this company as well...
Something to keep an eye on
All very interesting question indeed, we shall see!
I really hope Instagram remains a creative platform , and the new assigned FB execs do not muck the whole thing up! Same thing with Pandora.
Kaju.
Thanks for the info.
My prediction, but not my wisdom, is that most of the social media platforms will soon become regulated by the FTC or FCC.
We have already seen the social media giants brought before Congress recently and some have deviated hugely from their "stated mission" and instead have become more like media (press, TV, cable, etc) with huge political opinion sway and thus still escaping the usual regulatory oversight.
We saw the huge dips in FB revenue, the real reason for another post and maybe in another forum, but it is not happening in a void.
The writing is on the wall and all major social media platforms will be regulated and implicitly lose revenue from certain streams.
There are already other socials rising in their shadows which will render FB to the Blockbuster and My Space pile.
Soon.
Blessings!
Quite an indictment Gabriel, but the writing APPEARS TO BE ON THE WALL. This FTC and FCC regulation could certainly come true in the coming years of the not too distant future. I can see it.
My prediction Instagram will go the way of ancient IM There's too much trauma done in instances like this!
See more comments
Since I'm still a social mediaphobe, I really don't have an opinion about Instagram, because I haven't used it. I know I'll have to step up to the plate and get involved, but I'm not rushing to do that. I don't even text. I've started looking online for a different car, and people are texting me, but I don't know how to read or respond to them, because I don't ever do it. I figure if people want to talk to me they can either email or call me. Yeah, go ahead and say it... I'm a stubborn old woman!
Hi Carol its not that you stubborn Hahaaa its the way some of us are cause I think the same way too.
Butch
Thanks, Butch.
No, not at all. you are just Old School Carol!
I didn't text either for a long time, but once I started and got used to it, life became easier.
There still isn't a substitute for picking up the phone and calling directly for that personal touch:)
Yes, Old School is Good School!
:):)
You're right, Kaju. A talk is worth a thousand texts!
Absolutely and then some!
Indubitably!
Start texting now:)!
Naw, I like writing the words out, not using all those silly abbreviations. Today's kids don't know how to carry on a conversation in person, and they sure don't know how to SPEEL!
Very true:)
Did you catch my intentional misteak?
Yes, I do now!
TeeHee!
:):)