Instagram is an exceptional product built with significant restraint and focus. It took them over a year and a half to release an Android app, because they were focused on what matters. This is exceedingly rare, as most teams would end up shortsightedly chasing the last few percent of users. Your assumption that the Instagram team has some above average connections in the valley is also baseless.
If you are going to say that my claims are baseless, please explain "... they focused on what matters.". What would that be exactly?
Significant restraint and focus? Please expand on what you also mean by this.
You're right on one point... They don't have above average connections. They have spectacular connections. Only the connections that being funded by Jack Dorsey, Sequoia, Benchmark, Andreessen Horowitz, etc. would provide.
What I mean is that typically these types of companies drive to support all platforms (including web), diluting their ability to execute. Instagram focused on excellent execution for a narrower user base and won over a large number of users. Considering the demand for an Android app, they held out for a very long time, until they were able to bring the same level of execution to that platform.
This isn't "connections." This is called an investment. It is because those investors realized the potential here and invested in the company. Maybe I read it wrong, but your post made it seem like there is some kind of unfair advantage they had because they "knew a guy who knew a guy." Only after they proved their ability to execute did they take significant funding and gain those connections.
Comments
Instagram is an exceptional product built with significant restraint and focus. It took them over a year and a half to release an Android app, because they were focused on what matters. This is exceedingly rare, as most teams would end up shortsightedly chasing the last few percent of users. Your assumption that the Instagram team has some above average connections in the valley is also baseless.
Make your own luck.
If you are going to say that my claims are baseless, please explain "... they focused on what matters.". What would that be exactly?
Significant restraint and focus? Please expand on what you also mean by this.
You're right on one point... They don't have above average connections. They have spectacular connections. Only the connections that being funded by Jack Dorsey, Sequoia, Benchmark, Andreessen Horowitz, etc. would provide.
What I mean is that typically these types of companies drive to support all platforms (including web), diluting their ability to execute. Instagram focused on excellent execution for a narrower user base and won over a large number of users. Considering the demand for an Android app, they held out for a very long time, until they were able to bring the same level of execution to that platform.
This isn't "connections." This is called an investment. It is because those investors realized the potential here and invested in the company. Maybe I read it wrong, but your post made it seem like there is some kind of unfair advantage they had because they "knew a guy who knew a guy." Only after they proved their ability to execute did they take significant funding and gain those connections.