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Kevin Systrom at Startup School SV 2014
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Kevin Systrom at Startup School Silicon Valley 2014 View the annotated transcript, and add annotations of your own, on Genius: http://tech.genius.com/Kevin-systrom-kevin-systrom-at-startup-school-sv-2014-annotated
Segments Timeline
The Birth of a Founder
Kevin Systrom discusses the potential of the audience at Startup School, emphasizing that one of them could be the next successful founder. He reflects on the unique environment of Silicon Valley, where failure is tolerated, and shares his personal journey into the startup world, highlighting his early interests and experiences that led him to entrepreneurship.
"Kevin thanks a lot for joining us today absolutely thanks for having me this is nice big crowd yeah this is a quite a few people um well we can just launch right in course I guess um you know the craz..."
Discovering Passion in Technology
Systrom recounts his upbringing in a small town outside Boston and how his diverse interests in technology and creativity shaped his entrepreneurial spirit. He shares how reading 'The New New Thing' inspired him to explore the startup ecosystem, leading him to Stanford, where he felt he could thrive in a culture that embraced hard work and innovation.
"where people get to work on ideas where failure is tolerated I mean if you travel overseas to other places there's a reason why Silicon Valley is so different and it's because failure is tolerated um ..."
First Steps in Entrepreneurship
Kevin reflects on his first startup experience at Stanford, creating a classified ad site called 'The Tree List.' He discusses the challenges of being a student entrepreneur, the importance of learning to code, and how he navigated the startup landscape while balancing his studies and personal interests.
"so I was drawn I I did a trip to Stanford just to see the school because I was interviewing at a bunch of um East Coast Schools and I came to Stanford and I was like there are palm trees it's beautifu..."
Building from Afar
Systrom shares a unique story about launching his classified ads site while studying abroad in Florence. He describes the challenges of working without reliable internet and how he learned to code and market his idea remotely, emphasizing the importance of taking action and learning through experience.
"you uh kind of started your first thing uh it was a CL classified ad site is that right yeah um as many people know and I'm not sure how this has changed um to date uh at Stanford and other schools bu..."
Lessons from Early Ventures
In this segment, Kevin discusses the lessons learned from his initial startup attempts, including the importance of user engagement over feedback and the skills he developed while working on his projects. He highlights how these experiences laid the groundwork for his future success with Instagram.
"didn't have much to do after class because you know it was the winter it was cold um you know I think the program had 12 students in it so you'd go home to your you know host family and you'd eat an a..."
Embracing Action Over Perfection
Systrom advises the audience on navigating their post-college paths, emphasizing that there is no perfect next move. He shares insights from his experience with Marines about the 'bias towards action,' encouraging young entrepreneurs to take risks and make progress rather than getting stuck in analysis paralysis.
"probably helped too was like the idea that I wasn't on the ground listening to whether or not people liked it gave me enough like ammunition and confidence to like keep working on it um and then all I..."
Facing Parental Concerns
In this segment, Systrom reflects on the fears and concerns expressed by his parents when he decided to pursue a startup instead of a stable job. He humorously addresses the topic of health insurance and the risks associated with entrepreneurship, illustrating the common parental worries faced by aspiring founders.
"to so the idea that you can spend all of your time thinking about what the perfect next move is trying to plan am I going to work at Google am I going to work at Microsoft like which one like am I goi..."
The Importance of Action
Systrom reiterates the significance of taking action and learning from experiences rather than waiting for the perfect opportunity. He shares how his journey, including the development of Instagram, was shaped by various experiences and the necessity of trying repeatedly to achieve success.
"to be fine okay when I told my parents that I was going to go do a startup and I know we're all a bit older here but like you know when I told my parents I was going to do a startup they're like what ..."
Foundational Experiences in Photography
Kevin recounts how a photography class in Florence influenced the development of Instagram's filters. He explains how seemingly minor experiences can have a lasting impact on future projects, emphasizing that every experience contributes to one's entrepreneurial journey.
"takes trying and trying and trying again I mean Instagram like filters came from a photography class that I took in Florence where my um my photography teacher gave me a square format camera called a ..."
Transitioning from Google to Startups
Systrom shares his transition from working at Google to pursuing his startup ambitions. He discusses the challenges faced during the economic downturn of 2008 and how his experiences at Google prepared him for the startup world, highlighting the importance of surrounding oneself with talented individuals.
"going forward you'll end up kind of figuring out how it takes form in your startup going forward but each and every little experience adds up yeah so flashforward a few years and you're uh in corp Dev..."
The Birth of Bourbon
In this segment, Systrom introduces the initial concept of Bourbon, an HTML5 location-sharing app. He explains the process of idea generation through 'combinatorial entrepreneurship' and how the early stages of Bourbon eventually led to the creation of Instagram.
"of anyone that like any of the offers that I had because I wanted to work in a specific job at Google I didn't care what job it was actually I just cared that it was at Google and I would surround mys..."
Iterating Towards Success
Systrom discusses the iterative development process of Bourbon and the challenges faced with HTML5. He reflects on the need to transition to a native app for Instagram and how the lessons learned during this phase were crucial for the app's eventual success.
"like we're actually not going to do many deals now you should probably just go golfing and for like a 20s something year old thinking to themselves like I want to make a difference in the world and yo..."
Combinatorial Entrepreneurship
Systrom introduces the concept of combinatorial entrepreneurship, where he combines trending ideas to generate innovative concepts. He reflects on how this approach led to the initial development of Bourbon and eventually Instagram. This segment emphasizes the creative process behind startup ideation and the significance of adapting to new technologies.
"have this thing I'm sure it exists in other people's minds as well but it's called combinatorial entrepreneurship so just like take a bunch of terms that are hot and swap them around until you get som..."
The Transition to Instagram
In this segment, Systrom discusses the transition from Bourbon to Instagram, detailing the challenges they faced with user engagement and the need to pivot to a native app. He shares insights on user metrics and the importance of understanding user behavior, which ultimately guided their development strategy. This highlights the iterative nature of product development in tech startups.
"um but that ended up being like really important for our development cycle was which was like we were able to iterate really really quickly and like launch new features because it was HTML and then th..."
The Spark of an Idea
Systrom recounts a pivotal moment during a vacation in Mexico that inspired the photo-sharing aspect of Instagram. He shares a conversation with his girlfriend that led to the realization of the importance of photo filters, which became a defining feature of the app. This segment illustrates the role of personal experiences and insights in shaping innovative ideas.
"just building stuff but anyway we had Bourbon and it was a location sharing app you could check in um and as part of your check-in you could attach a photo or a video um and you know there were points..."
The Launch of Instagram
Kevin Systrom describes the launch of Instagram, detailing the rapid user adoption and the excitement surrounding the app's debut. He reflects on the initial success and the importance of building buzz prior to launch. This segment captures the thrill of startup launches and the strategies that can lead to viral growth.
"and breakfast that was like you know it was like $40 a night or something it was like a hostel um and it had dial up internet and I like basically researched how to change the look of pixels and an im..."
Building Relationships for Success
In this segment, Systrom emphasizes the significance of networking and building relationships in Silicon Valley. He shares anecdotes about meeting influential figures and how these connections helped Instagram gain traction. This highlights the importance of community and collaboration in the startup ecosystem.
"you know how did how did you engineer that you had such an incredible amount of support from you know the right people you were you know featured all of these things like how do how do people get ther..."
Being Your Own Advocate
Systrom discusses the necessity of self-advocacy in the startup world, sharing his experience of securing press coverage for Instagram. He stresses that believing in your idea is crucial, especially when others may doubt it. This segment underscores the importance of confidence and persistence in entrepreneurship.
"a previous relationship um but like we created so much Buzz up until our launch that like once we launched it it was this ground yeah it was this ground swell and the other thing is be relentless okay..."
The Midnight Launch Surprise
Systrom recounts the unexpected excitement of Instagram's launch at midnight. He describes the initial confusion as users began signing up from different time zones, revealing the global interest in the app. This segment illustrates the unpredictability of launching a tech product and the challenges faced with server capacity during a sudden influx of users.
"like no one else is going to so taking a step back right before launch like surely just like anyone else you had crazy pre-launch Jitters how did you know that it was ready for other people to try Oka..."
Overcoming Launch Jitters
Kevin Systrom shares the adrenaline and jitters experienced during Instagram's launch. He reflects on the challenges of maintaining server stability amidst a surge of new users and the demoralizing nature of negative feedback on social media. This segment emphasizes the emotional rollercoaster of launching a startup and the importance of resilience.
"awake so what ended up happening was a ton of people signed up um we were on a single server at a small little Colo facility down in La that you could like rent a physical server that was like I still..."
Community First: The Heart of Instagram
In this segment, Systrom discusses the foundational value of 'Community First' at Instagram. He explains how building a strong community of users is crucial for the success of any platform. Systrom highlights the importance of serving users rather than treating them as mere assets, showcasing how this philosophy has guided Instagram's growth and culture.
"takes a lot of hard work once you're lucky kind of a big closing question because Instagram is not merely technology it's also an incredible Community like while you're on your way up how did you pres..."