A dying check-in app, an 8-week pivot, and a $1B sale by a team of 13.
▶ Founder shortScalingAI & creator toolsCreatorConsumerDesignUSA
Kevin Systrom's first app, Burbn, was a cluttered check-in product going nowhere. He and Mike Krieger looked at what people actually used — the photos — cut everything else, and rebuilt it in eight weeks as Instagram. It hit 25,000 users on day one and a million in two months. Eighteen months later Facebook bought it for $1B with a team of thirteen. The cleanest pivot story in consumer software, and the reason 'do one thing' is a founder cliché.
Why it's indexed
- Rebuilt from scratch in eight weeks around the one feature people used.
- Sold to Facebook for $1B with 13 employees.
- 25,000 sign-ups on launch day; a million users in two months.
Coverage
Founder short: Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger & InstagramFounder short
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