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Kevin Systrom on Instagram's early days: interview summary

Kevin Systrom of Instagram- TWiST #196

This Week in Startups · Oct 12, 2011 · about 81 min

Uploaded Oct 12, 2011 · 14.9K views (as of Oct 30, 2026)

Some value given

Instagram started as Burbn, a check-in app.
They cut everything except photos, the part people loved.
In 2011 Instagram had about 6 or 7 employees and over 10 million users.
He was happy for people to use other filter apps too.
He expected video to become part of Instagram someday.

How did Instagram get so popular when it seemed so simple?

Systrom says Instagram didn't start as Instagram. It began as Burbn, a check-in app for sharing what you were doing. They noticed people mostly used the photo feature, so they cut everything else and focused on fast, simple photo sharing with filters.

Worth watching?Some value given. A fun time capsule from Instagram's first year, with a tiny team and millions of users. Great on focus. Dated on everything else.

ActionableLessons

Actionable

Look at which feature people use most and consider cutting the rest.
Ask how small your team could be if you focused.
Make your core action take as few taps as possible.
Watch what users do more than what they say.

Lessons

Focus beats feature count.
Pivots often come from usage data.
Small teams can serve huge audiences.
Simple products spread fast.

Quick answer

Kevin Systrom sat down with This Week in Startups for this interview, published Oct 12, 2011. Here's our summary in our own words: a verdict, the answer to the big question, 5 takeaways, Actionable and Lessons tabs, then the stories, frameworks and how to use them.

What 125x is: 125x is a web app at 125x.app. You connect your YouTube subscriptions, and it gives you a feed of the latest videos from the channels you follow, each with a summary: a verdict, the 5 key takeaways, and the spoiler, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips. You read that and decide what's actually worth opening.

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Watch the interview

Watch on YouTube: Kevin Systrom of Instagram- TWiST #196

Channel: This Week in Startups. Published Oct 12, 2011. About 81 minutes.

Who is Kevin Systrom?

Kevin Systrom co-founded Instagram with Mike Krieger in 2010. Facebook bought it in 2012.

This TWiST interview with Jason Calacanis was in October 2011.

Key stories from the interview

He explains the move from Burbn to Instagram.
He talks about the tiny team and huge user count.
He discusses filters and other photo apps.
He predicts video will come to Instagram.

Frameworks and ideas

Cut to the core.
Small team, big reach.
Simplicity spreads.

In their words (paraphrased)

They didn't start with Instagram, they started with an app called Burbn.
They don't need to be the only filter app you use.
He doesn't see a future where video isn't part of Instagram.

How to apply this

List features to cut.
Measure your core action's speed.
Talk to 5 users about what they use most.

A note on this summary

This page reports what was said in the interview, in our own words. Lines under 'In their words' are paraphrased from the transcript, so check the video for exact wording.

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FAQ: questions people ask

What was Instagram before Instagram?

A check-in app called Burbn.

How many employees did Instagram have in 2011?

About 6 or 7, with over 10 million registered users, per this interview.

Is this Kevin Systrom interview worth watching?

Some value given. Fun history, but from 2011.