Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger announced their departure from the company abruptly on Monday night, and nobody knows exactly why. As reported by Recode, Systrom and Krieger left due to growing differences between their vision for Instagram and Facebook’s (which acquired the photo-sharing platform for less than $1 billion in 2012), but it’s unclear what was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The pair left so hastily that Systrom’s Wall Street Journal cover story about the future of Instagram — with him and Krieger still leading — hasn’t even hit the stands yet. They suggested in a polite resignation note that they might collaborate on something new, but gave no details. The Verge’s Casey Newton argued that the departures mark “the end of Instagram as we know it,” writing: “Systrom and Krieger were deeply involved in day-to-day product decisions, and retained an unusual degree of autonomy over the company. For years, they were careful to the point of being obstinate.” As Newton notes, Instagram as we know it is already very different from what it was before Facebook acquired it. It has a billion users, is now worth $100 billion, and is projected to bring in around $8 billion in ad revenue for Facebook this year. It has made popular user-facing changes like Stories and Instagram Live, and it has introduced IG TV (which reportedly caused conflict by competing with Facebook Watch) and made plans to build a standalone shopping app. It has also been steadily tweaked to add features that drive users back to Facebook’s main app — changes that have been remarked upon by users mostly because they’re confusing and embarrassing, and which Newton cites as establishing a “death by a thousand cuts” dynamic between the image-sharing app and its parent company. But by far the most reviled change to the platform while under Facebook’s care came in summer 2016, when Instagram abandoned the chronological feed in favor of an opaque relevance-sorting algorithm similar to the one used for Facebook’s News Feed. For ordinary users, it was a minor annoyance that they noisily complained about, but for people who make money via Instagram — promoting art or establishing a brand or finding new clients or selling handmade goods directly — it posed a potential threat to their livelihood by making their content less likely to show up in many of their followers’ feeds. There’s no way to know for sure that this change was pushed by Facebook leadership, though most critics and onlookers deem it likely — and there’s no way to know what Facebook might change about Instagram next. Nothing? Everything? We spoke to 10 artists, designers, influencers, and shop runners about what they see coming. Their feelings ranged from nonchalance to “heartbreak,” but most had some sharp words about what they perceive to be Facebook’s priorities. Kristiina Wilson (@kristiinawilson) photographer, 17.1K followers I know, via a very good female friend who is quite high up in the Instagram corporate structure, that Instagram and Facebook are very much part of the “bro” work culture. Having heard her stories over the years, I can only hope that the founders leaving would open up spots for increased female leadership, and possibly create change in corporate culture. The battles she has to fight to be heard over the overwhelmingly white, male bias at those companies needs to change. Whether or not the founders leaving will affect that change remains to be seen, but here’s hoping! In terms of my own work, I don’t personally care what is happening with the founders or the platform. I honestly hate that Instagram and social media are a thing I have to do to remain relevant. Posting is no longer a fun way to share images with friends, but a chore I just have to get over with. If all social media platforms went away, that would be fine with me! Ev Bravado (@murderbravado), streetwear designer, 68.2K followers When the founders of a company leave, it is either because 1) they are tired of doing the same thing continuously and are in dire need of a new lease on life, or 2) things are really about to hit the fan and they are jumping ship. In this case, I hope it’s for reason one. Instagram has room to grow, but if they prioritize ad revenue over streamlining content and really listening to the user, then we are doomed. We all see the debacle Facebook has become, overflowing with ads, spam, and fake users, and oversaturated sharing led to a large number of people forsaking the platform. Instagram has evolved significantly in recent years, but its founders departing doesn’t mean that its users will too, so long as the integrity of the platform and the values of the company remain. Kate Bingaman-Burt (@katebingburt), illustrator, teacher, 30.4K followers The platform continues to change all the time. At first I was scared of Stories, but now it seems to be in a good groove. The biggest fear is that it becomes even more like Facebook, that when you post something, the followers and fans you may have never see what you’re sharing, even though they may want to. Even though the current algorithm is terrible, I’m expecting it to get even worse. Rox Brown (@rox_brown), celebrity stylist, (best known for Young Thug’s Jeffrey album cover! ), 94.7K followers I think that [Instagram’s founders] may be leaving to get to the next thing. At some point, every social media platform dies down. Although I don’t think that’s anytime soon for Instagram, I think it will slow down. A lot of people are starting to take an “Instagram hiatus.” I think it’s cool that they’re leaving. Why not? After you’ve successfully built something, why not set a new goal? We all have multiple platforms. I’d definitely check out [the Instagram founders’ rumored] new [project]. If they helped with a brilliant app like Instagram, I’m sure the next thing will be great as well. Cat Frazier (@itsanimatedtext), meme artist, hat designer, 70.4K followers I think it shows that the direction of Instagram is different from what the founders originally created. I saw someone tweet that not all startup founders want to run a major business, and as a small-business owner I completely understand them leaving. Despite a lot of complaints, I don’t see Instagram becoming the new Facebook. And the Facebook-like changes they have made on Instagram have actually helped my page grow — including the ability to upload videos, reposting through Stories, and being put on the Explore page. I’ve had my Instagram for years, and only this year, following all the changes, have I been able to grow and survive off it. Vania Scharbach (@worksbyvania), artist and fashion designer, 5.8K followers I do care a lot about Facebook and Instagram. I’m one of those people who really enjoys new technology and I’ve always been very into Instagram. It helped me stay in touch with lots of customers and make many sales. “I get that the platform belongs to them, but didn’t it become interesting exactly because of so many cool creators?” Growing up, I always wondered how I could reach a lot of people with my ideas. With social media, that’s the dream come true, right? You can reach millions of people, and whoever likes what you are showing can keep up with your creations and always see your updates. Now that’s the issue: Instagram used to be like that, but nowadays, only a small fraction of your followers get to see your post. [Note: The new algorithm does prioritize posts from a user’s friends and family over those from other accounts.] Then you don’t get enough likes, and it’s very heartbreaking for a creator. Even though you know it’s the algorithm, it still hurts. And yes, I get that the platform belongs to them, but didn’t it become interesting exactly because of so many cool creators? I mean, on Facebook there’s so much room on the screen for ads and other stuff, but on Instagram, it’s only that one strip of images — why can’t we just see what we want instead of what they want us to see? If I feel heartbroken by the changes, I imagine that [the founders] aren’t very happy about it either… Jude Chao (@fiddysnails), director of marketing at Korean beauty site Beautytap, 32.4K followers I actually had no idea, and I’ll reserve judgment until I learn more or see what happens to the platform now. Frankly, I wasn’t super happy with the changes that had been made to Instagram in the past few years anyway — like the non-chronological feed, or when they added the “online” status indicator, which I believe you currently have to opt out of. It feels a little invasive and definitely creates some guilt if I’m only popping on to post something for a minute or to answer a comment — I don’t want anyone to think I’m ignoring them! [But] to me, it could go one way or the other. Eduardo Morales (@pinlord), Instagram strategy blogger, head of New York’s Instagram Growth Hackers group, 143K followers I don’t lose sleep over this, but their departure probably means an even worse experience for Instagram users long term. They likely left because they either want to do something else with their lives or because they had a strong disagreement about what Facebook plans to do with the product. Either way, it’ll be a completely Facebook-driven product, and they don’t have a good track record (in my opinion) with user privacy or building a product that people love and feel good about. Most people I know now compare the feeling of bingeing on Facebook to the feeling of bingeing on a big, greasy, gross meal at McDonald’s. Instagram is slowly but surely getting to that point, and this departure leads me to think that will come faster now that Facebook completely runs it. As you can tell, I’m pretty disillusioned with Instagram and Facebook. I think they make a lot of people’s lives less satisfying (at scale) and that bums me out. Goth Shakira (@gothshakira), feminist meme artist, DJ, 56.6K followers Facebook built its platform upon sharing, which is how echo chambers, fake news, and silos of people with discriminatory views have been able to flourish and feed off each other. The beauty (and humanity) of Instagram lies in its productive tension — sharing options have distinct boundaries, and on Instagram you’re more likely than on Facebook to be exposed to organic content that you don’t like. Since human beings construct their self-concepts and identities based on what they don’t like, it’s important that we come into contact with things we don’t agree with, or that don’t resonate with us. It’s healthy and helps us retain our agency. Facebook has indicated that they’re plugging ahead with an algorithmic model that makes it almost impossible for private users to see the organic content of other users beyond their immediate circle unless money has been put behind it. They’ve also articulated interest in applying this model to Instagram, to bring in the revenue they need to keep Facebook’s sinking platform afloat. With the departure of Instagram’s original founders, it’s worrisome that the original expertise and spirit behind the platform, along with its humanity, could have very well departed with them. Matty Mo (@themostfamousartist), internet artist, entrepreneur, 156K followers The platform is constantly changing. It always has and always will. Truth is, making a living selling art on Instagram now is far different than it was in 2015, when I first started. And making a living on Instagram with [direct-to-consumer] art sales will be a whole different beast in 2019 and beyond. “I am grateful to Mark Zuckerberg for acquiring Instagram and providing it the infrastructure and resources to grow into the cultural epicenter it has become.” [Systrom and Krieger] empowered a new class of creative entrepreneurs to thrive, independently of the gallery ecosystem. That was the real shift in culture that they created — the notion of a self-sustaining independent visual artist. I am grateful to Mark Zuckerberg for acquiring Instagram and providing it the infrastructure and resources to grow into the cultural epicenter it has become.<doc-sep>Instagram founders Systrom and Krieger leaving Facebook-owned firm Published 25 September 2018 image copyright Reuters image caption Kevin Systrom (R) and Mike Krieger continued to run Instagram after it was acquired by Facebook in 2012 The co-founders of photo-sharing giant Instagram, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, are both leaving the firm. Mr Systrom, chief executive, said they were departing to "explore our curiosity and creativity again". Instagram, purchased by Facebook in 2012 for $1bn (£760m) in cash and stock, has more than a billion users. There had been reports of tension between the pair and Facebook, and the departures add to what has been a troubling year for the parent company. Mr Systrom, 34, the CEO, and Mr Krieger, 32, the chief technical officer, started the image sharing site in 2010 and continued to run the service after it was acquired by Facebook. What have the pair said? Not a great deal. They reportedly only told the Facebook leadership on Monday so the departure appears pretty sudden. He added: "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." There was no animosity in the blog post. Mr Systrom said the pair both remained "excited for the future of Instagram and Facebook". Over 8 years ago, Kevin and I started Instagram, hoping to build something that would bring out people’s creativity and spirit for exploration. Now it’s time for the next chapter. A huge thank you to everyone in the community who we’ve met along the way. https://t.co/9Omyj6VHbe — Mike Krieger (@mikeyk) September 25, 2018 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. View original tweet on Twitter How has Facebook responded? CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement that Instagram reflected the founders' "combined creative talents". "I've learned a lot working with them for the past six years and have really enjoyed it," he said. "I'm looking forward to seeing what they build next." So what's behind the departures? The BBC understands that tension started to grow between Mr Systrom and Mr Zuckerberg as far back as 2014 when Facebook purchased WhatsApp. The social network spent $19bn on the chat app in 2014, and Instagram's co-founder is said to have become concerned that he had sold out too soon. image copyright AFP image caption The dominance of Facebook may have grated with Instagram's founding ethos He also saw Snapchat prosper - an app Facebook had tried and failed to take over. "The irony is that Kevin built the more successful product," one insider commented. There are reports that Mr Systrom had sought to maintain Instagram's independence and that this trickled down to make staff on Facebook and Instagram less inclined to be collaborative. But there was pressure for their two apps to become more integrated, and features were added allowing, for example, Instagram Stories - videos that self-destruct after 24 hours - to be cross-posted to Facebook. Despite remaining Instagram's figurehead at product launches and other public appearances, Mr Systrom's influence declined over time, a source told the BBC, as more Facebook executives were transferred to the photo service. "Kevin maybe didn't have the fight in him anymore and probably didn't agree with some of the product decisions," the source said. "This is just the natural end to an era." So what will become of Instagram now? Analysis by Dave Lee, BBC North America technology reporter The firm was quite deliberately treated like a separate company owned by Facebook, rather than merely a department or division, because it was Instagram's culture that made it such a valuable acquisition. Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger were responsible for that culture - the entire feel of an app that was in many respects the anti-Facebook. It lacked the clutter and noise that had made Facebook bloated in many people's eyes. But slowly, in recent years, the Instagram app started putting on that weight. Algorithmic ordering of the timeline... and ads, so many ads. One of the names being touted as the next boss of Instagram is Adam Mosseri. He's currently head of product, and has a CV that some of Instagram's loyal users might find ominous - he was formerly in charge of Facebook's Newsfeed. They are not the first to jump ship Indeed not. In fact it echoes what happened with WhatsApp. Its chief executive and co-founder Jan Koum said in April he would quit the popular messaging service he co-founded in 2009 and sold to Facebook in 2014. Analysts of that move also spoke of clashes with Facebook. Mr Koum's departure sparked an executive reshuffle that saw the tightening of Mr Zuckerberg's control over operations. Facebook has been under intense pressure this year over the issues of safeguarding customer data and the misuse of its platforms by those wishing to spread fake news, including for political ends. In March, in the week Mr Zuckerberg apologised for the handling of a historic data breach, Facebook ended $58bn (£44bn) lower in value. The rise of Instagram Mr Systrom and Mr Krieger met while studying at Stanford University. The two were inspired to create the Instagram app - originally launched just for iPhones in 2010 - by old Polaroid pictures. media caption Instagram boss shares his secrets Instagram had about 30 million users in 2012, the year it was purchased by Facebook for what appeared to be an eye-watering $1bn. It was also ad-free. That changed. But so did the number of users - now more than a billion. The Forbes billionaires list estimates Kevin Systrom's net worth at $1.4bn. Mike Krieger's net worth is less. There are no definitive figures, ranging from $100m to $500m. What has the social media chatter been? One Twitter post highlighted the use of the word "again" in Mr Systrom's "explore our curiosity and creativity again". "Was it a slight dig from Systrom with the 'again'? You be the judge (I judge yea)," wrote Kara Swisher. NBC media reporter Dylan Byers wrote that the Instagram pair had saved Mr Zuckerberg. Some context: Systrom and Krieger basically saved Mark Zuckerberg — as I wrote here https://t.co/Hb0aKuqOQE — so why are they leaving and what does Facebook do without them? https://t.co/7XJORgXary — Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) September 25, 2018 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. View original tweet on Twitter I kinda wonder if Systrom/Kreiger were being pressured by Zuck’s lieutenants for deeper integration with Facebook to fend off anti-trust calls to break-up conglomerate back into its parts, meaning integrate the products so they can’t even be remembered as separate platforms. — David Carroll 🦅 (@profcarroll) September 25, 2018 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. View original tweet on Twitter In fact, many posts spoke of the creativity and integrity of the departing pair. In the end, Instagram rose to dominance in large part because Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger stuck around to protect it within Facebook. Like their app encourages, they saw the potential for art where no one else did. pic.twitter.com/Oc6JSEh07E — Josh Constine (@JoshConstine) September 25, 2018 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. View original tweet on Twitter<doc-sep>
Instagram cofounders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger announced on Monday they are leaving the company. Their departure poses big risks for the service they created and for Facebook, its corporate parent. Their resignations come as Facebook has becoming increasingly reliant on the revenue and user growth Instagram provides. It also follows a series of scandals at Facebook that have exposed the shortcomings of Mark Zuckerberg as a leader and CEO. It's usually not huge news when the founders of a startup leave after their company is acquired. But the departure of Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger from Instagram is a big deal — and not just because it was so unexpected. Their resignations are a huge blow to parent company Facebook. Their move puts the future of Instagram up in the air even as it has become increasingly important to Facebook's overall business. And their departure — which follows that of other other top executives — comes as it's become increasingly clear that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg could use more, not fewer, strong voices to check his impulses and guide the company. Perhaps not so coincidentally, the early indications are that Systrom and Krieger are leaving Instagram precisely over a difference of opinion with Zuckerberg about the future of Instagram. Up until recently, Systrom was largely able to run Instagram on his own, according to multiple reports. Although Instagram tapped into Facebook's engineering resources and infrastructure, its founders were largely able to stick to their own vision when running the service, and to shrug off product suggestions from their corporate parent. But Facebook had recently begun to alter the nature of its relationship with the photo-sharing service. Zuckerberg has been personally taking a more active interest in Instagram's direction of late, according to the Wall Street Journal. A management shakeup earlier this year appeared to decrease Systrom's power over the service and access to the CEO, the Journal reported. Meanwhile, Facebook has dramatically cut back on promoting Instagram inside its main social networking app, according to the Journal. Systrom and Krieger were upset about the loss of the site's autonomy and their ability to steer its direction, according to multiple reports. Instagram was doing great under Systrom and Krieger's leadership At least from the outside, the two have done a terrific job with the service. In the six years since Facebook acquired Instagram, it's grown from 30 million to a billion active users. When it became part of Facebook, Instagram was basically generating no revenue. This year, it's expected to pull in $8 billion advertising sales, according to eMarketer. Under cofounder Kevin Systrom's leadership, Instagram grew from 30 million users at the time it was acquired by Facebook to 1 billion now. Getty As it's grown, Instagram has become an increasingly key part of Facebook's overall business. This year, the photo service's revenue will account for an estimated 17% of its corporate parent's ad sales, up from 9% last year. Instagram's fast sales and user growth have come as the revenue growth from Facebook's core app has started to slow. They also come as the number of Facebook users in developed countries has started to stagnate and the amount of time those users spend on the service has started to fall. Indeed, Instagram has started to look like Facebook's bright hope for the future. Young consumers increasingly signing up for and spending time with it instead of with Facebook's main social network. And while the reputation of Facebook's main service has been sullied by a succession of scandals, including the Cambridge Analytica fiasco, Instagram has largely maintained its positive image. But Facebook is risking that success with Systrom and Krieger leaving. Consumers bought into their vision, which was a site that was distinct from Facebook. If Facebook muddies that vision by remaking the service so it's more like, or more integrated into the company's core social network, users may go elsewhere. It's clear that Zuckerberg needs outside voices on his team But that's not the only danger Facebook faces from the departure of the Instagram founders. Perhaps the bigger risk is to the company's management and leadership. Thanks to a stock structure that gives him outsized voting power in any corporate matter, Zuckerberg appears to rule Facebook unchecked by the company's board. That makes the role of the top managers around him even more important, giving them a key role in helping shape and influence the company's direction. It's clear that Zuckerberg could use some help.