Kevin Systrom: A Biography of the Instagram Co-Founder

Biography of Kevin Systrom

How many of you have been using Instagram daily, posting pictures and reels for your friends and followers? Most people know that Instagram was purchased at some point by Facebook.

However, very few know of the genius that first created this app. His name is Kevin Systrom, and he laid the foundations for one of the most popular apps in the world.

 

“A photo app is a utility. It’s like comparing ‘X’ to Microsoft Word. If you want to be an author, you’re not always going to constrain yourself to 140 characters.” ~  Kevin Systrom

 

With a passion for programming and technology since childhood, Kevin Systrom worked his way to being a renowned entrepreneur and computer programmer.

He worked for famous companies, including Google, but he is most popular because he created Instagram.

In this article, we will learn more about Kevin Systrom and how he became a billionaire.

Early Life and Education

Systrom was born on December 30, 1983, in Holliston, Massachusetts. His father is Douglas Systrom, a psychology graduate with a career in Human Resources.

His mother is a business administration graduate with a marketing, product, and business management career.

Systrom was born American, with a North American ethnicity.

Growing up, Systrom was a typical teenager. He loved video games and would spend long hours playing them on his computer.

He was also a music enthusiast, collecting vinyl records whenever he could.

His interest in video games steered him toward programming and software development.

His favorite game as a child was Doom-2, for which he created his own levels.

 

“Do what you love, and do it well – that’s much more meaningful than any metric.” ~  Kevin Systrom

 

He obtained his first level of education from the Middlesex School in Concord.

There, he would learn more about computer programming. After finishing high school, he was accepted at Stanford University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in management sciences and engineering.

While he was at Stanford, he was also part of the Sigma Nu fraternity.

Stanford elected twelve students to participate in the famous Mayfield Fellows Program, with Systrom being one of them.

There, he obtained extensive training and knowledge on being a high-tech entrepreneur.

This program led to various opportunities, such as becoming an intern for Odeo, a company that later developed X.

Career

Upon graduating, it was clear that Systrom was a rather outstanding student.

Following his internship at Odeo, he received a job at the technology giant Google in 2008, where he worked as a marketing manager.

He worked with Google Calendar, Gmail, Spreadsheets, and Docs.

After two years, in 2010, he resigned from Google to follow his venture: Nextstop. He would form this venture with others like Charles Lin, Adrian Graham, and Carl Sjogreen, who were all former employees of Google.

The startup aimed to offer destination recommendations to people, but Facebook eventually overtook the app.

Systrom has a rather spontaneous nature and came up with the idea that check-ins could be merged with social games.

At a party, he created a prototype and shared this idea with the founders of Andreessen Horowitz and Baseline Ventures.

They loved the idea, so he received an initial funding of $500,000.

With the meeting fruitful, he decided to leave Nextstop and focus on his new idea.

He created Burbn, developed by Mike Krieger and Systrom in San Francisco. This was Instagram’s basis.

 

“Instagram was created because there was no single place dedicated to giving your mobile photos a place to live and to be seen.” ~  Kevin Systrom

 

The Burbn app would have various features, such as sharing locations, posting pictures, and creating future check-ins.

However, they eventually realized that the many features made it not very user-friendly.

So, they decided to change it and focus on one thing: posting and sharing pictures.

Since it was a different app at this point, it was rebranded into “Instagram.” The name was derived from the words “Instant” and “Telegram,” advertising its easiness of keeping in touch with friends.

Within one month of its launch, the app reached around 1 million users. The app grew so popular that in 2012 Facebook acquired the Instagram Company for $1 billion.

Kevin still owned Instagram shares, which brought him about $400 million. Thus, selling Instagram was a profitable financial move for Systrom.

Even after the company was sold, Facebook took an approach that was “hands off.” In other words, Facebook-owned the company, but Systrom would still lead it.

He was the company’s CEO, whereas Krieger was the technical head.

He contributed to Instagram over the years, including video addition, filters, and the Explore tab.

A signature creation of Kevin’s was the X-Pro II filter, created when Instagram was still in its Burbn phase.

Systrom continued acting as the company’s CEO until he stepped down in September 2018.

 

“Every photo you take communicates something about a moment in time – a brief slice of time of where you were, who you were with, and what you were doing.” ~  Kevin Systrom

 

During his time at Instagram, he admitted that the most challenging part was to resist the pressure to over-commercialize it.

Instead, he believed that simplicity was the answer to a successful app.

After all, this was exactly how Instagram came to life: Burbn was too difficult to use, so they had to step it down a few notches.

After nearly five years of leaving Instagram, Systrom and Krieger began working on a new app: Artifact.

This app promised a personalized news feed that would rely on artificial intelligence. Unlike Instagram, this app would focus on articles instead of photographs.

Achievements and Awards

Over time, Systrom received several awards as a result of his achievements. For example, at the “6th Annual Crunchies Awards” of 2012, he was awarded “Founder of the Year.”

In addition, he received the “Webby Breakout Award” with his Instagram business partner the same year.

In 2013, Systrom was listed in the “Forbes 30 under 30” list under the category “Social/Mobile.”

Also, in 2015, he received the “CFDA Social Media Award.” Moreover, he was ranked as a billionaire by Forbes in 2016 after reaching a net worth of approximately $1.1 billion.

Personal Life

Kevin married his college sweetheart, Nicole Schuetz, on October 31, 2016. As the Sutro Energy Group founder, Nicole shared his passion for technology.

Not much is known about their personal life, as they prefer to stay out of the limelight.

However, their wedding was a black-tie masquerade ball inspired by New Orleans tradition. In June 2018, the couple welcomed their daughter, Freya, into their life.

According to Systrom, Nicole is one of the main inspirations for some of the beautiful features you can find on Instagram.

His passion for gaming remains, but he has also developed an interest in photography.

This inspired him to create Instagram in the first place, as the platform where you could easily upload your favorite pictures.

 

“If you’ve got an idea, start today. There’s no better time than now to get going. That doesn’t mean quit your job and jump into your idea 100% from day one, but there’s always small progress that can be made to start the movement.” ~  Kevin Systrom

 

Over time, Systrom donated to various charities and organizations focused on immigration reforms.

Together with other philanthropists such as Arianna Huffington and Jay Shetty, he gave TisBest Charity Gift Cards so that others could donate to their favorite charities.

This was during Ray Dalio’s massive charity giveaway.

Conclusion

Kevin Systrom is a man who made social media easy for many of us. While he may no longer be the owner of Instagram, his idea of sharing photos turned him into a trendsetter. His sale of Instagram only helped him grow more, with millions of users joining the ranks over the years.

Key Points

• Kevin Systrom, the mastermind behind Instagram, revolutionized social media by creating one of the world’s most popular apps.
• Systrom’s journey from a passionate programmer to a successful entrepreneur shaped his path to creating Instagram.
• After working at Google and starting his venture, Nextstop, Systrom’s idea for a photo-sharing app took shape.
• Instagram’s rapid growth caught the attention of Facebook, leading to its acquisition for a staggering $1 billion in 2012.
• As Instagram’s CEO, Systrom introduced innovative features like videos and filters, shaping the app’s evolution.
• After stepping down from Instagram, Systrom embarked on a new venture with Artifact, an app focusing on personalized news feeds.
• Systrom’s contributions earned him numerous accolades, including awards such as “Founder of the Year” and a billionaire ranking by Forbes.
• In his personal life, Systrom married Nicole Schuetz, and together they have a daughter named Freya.
• Systrom’s philanthropic efforts include donations to immigration reform causes and participation in charitable initiatives alongside notable figures.
• With Instagram, Systrom’s photo-sharing idea became a global trend, attracting millions of users to the platform.

Timeline of Kevin Systrom

1983:

Kevin Systrom is born on December 30 in Holliston, Massachusetts.

2013:

Systrom graduates from the Middlesex School in Concord.

2006:

Systrom graduates from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in management sciences and engineering.

2008:

Systrom begins working at Google as a marketing manager.

2010:

Systrom leaves Google and co-founds Nextstop, a destination recommendation startup.

2010:

Systrom receives initial funding of $500,000 for his new idea, Burbn.

2010:

Burbn, the precursor to Instagram, is created.

2012:

Instagram is launched and reaches 1 million users within one month.

2012:

Facebook acquires Instagram for $1 billion.

2016:

Systrom marries Nicole Schuetz.

2016:

Systrom is listed as a billionaire by Forbes.

2018:

Systrom steps down as CEO of Instagram.

2018:

Systrom and Mike Krieger, co-founder of Instagram, begin working on Artifact, a news feed app.

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Lessons From The Life of Kevin Systrom

Simplicity is Powerful:

One of the key lessons from Kevin Systrom’s journey is the power of simplicity.

Instagram evolved from the overly complicated app called Burbn. Abandoning Burbn and focusing on taking and sharing photos transformed a complicated app into a simple, user-friendly one. This transformation ended up being a multi-million-dollar idea!

If the team had continued on their path and didn’t decide to go back to the basics while focusing on the simplicity of taking and sharing photos, they would not have come up with what Instagram is today.

Keeping it simple is key for anything planned for the general public. 

When people invent something, they are familiar with the invention and find it easy to understand and use. However, they often forget that it may be difficult for the general public to comprehend and use.

Another key point is that even if end users can learn how to use the product, they may not want to spend the time and effort to use it if it’s not simple.

More people will be interested when you keep things simple and understandable. 

Another example of this concept is when the iPhone came out. Steve Job’s greatest creation was simple to use and simple to understand. So even though the iPhone is very powerful, you can use it without needing to be trained; plus, if you want to use advanced functions, you could learn more about them!

Simplicity is powerful when creating a product, a process, writing, planning, or making decisions. Use it whenever you can!

Facts Related to The Life of Kevin Systrom

1. Kevin Systrom is the creator of Instagram.
2. Systrom worked for Google as a marketing manager.
3. Kevin Systrom created the Burbn app, which later became Instagram.
4. Instagram was acquired by Facebook for $1 billion.
5. Kevin Systrom was the CEO of Instagram.
6. Systrom stepped down as the CEO of Instagram in September 2018.
7. Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, his business partner, worked on a new app called Artifact.
8. Systrom received the “Founder of the Year” award at the “6th Annual Crunchies Awards” in 2012.
9. Kevin Systrom was listed in Forbes’ “30 under 30” list in 2013.
10. Systrom was ranked a billionaire by Forbes in 2016.
11. Kevin Systrom is married to Nicole Schuetz.
12. Kevin and Nicole have a daughter named Freya.
13. Systrom has donated to various charities and organizations focused on immigration reforms.

Frequently Asked Questions About Kevin Systrom

The information in this post answers many of the questions about Kevin Systrom. In addition, this section provides a summary and any further information.

The information in this post answers many of the questions about Kevin Systrom. In addition, this section provides a summary and any further information.

1. When and where was Kevin Systrom born?

He was born in Holliston, Massachusetts, on December 30, 1983.

2. What were Kevin Systrom’s interests during his teenage years?

Systrom was interested in video games and spent long hours playing them on his computer. He was also a music enthusiast and collected vinyl records.

3. Which game did Kevin Systrom enjoy playing the most as a child?

As a child, his favorite game was Doom-2, for which he created his own levels.

4. Where did Kevin Systrom receive his first level of education?

The Middlesex School in Concord, where he learned more about computer programming.

5. Which university did Kevin Systrom graduate from, and what was his degree?

Stanford University with a bachelor’s in management sciences and engineering.

6. What program did Kevin Systrom participate in at Stanford University?

He was one of the twelve students elected to participate in the Mayfield Fellows Program at Stanford. As a result, he received extensive training and knowledge on being a high-tech entrepreneur.

7. Which company did Kevin Systrom intern for at Stanford?

He interned for Odeo, a company that later developed X.

8. Where did Kevin Systrom work after graduating from Stanford?

Systrom worked for Google as a marketing manager, working with products like Google Calendar, Gmail, Spreadsheets, and Docs.

9. What was Kevin Systrom’s next venture after leaving Google?

Kevin started a venture called Nextstop, which aimed to offer destination recommendations to people but was eventually overtaken by Facebook.

10. How did Kevin Systrom come up with the idea for Instagram?

He came up with the idea for Instagram by merging the concept of check-ins with social games, which he shared with the founders of Andreessen Horowitz and Baseline Ventures.

11. How much initial funding did Kevin Systrom receive for his idea?

The initial funding was $500,000 for his idea, which later became Instagram.

12. What was the app’s original name that eventually became Instagram?

Burbn was the original name of the app.

13. Why did Kevin Systrom and his team change the app’s features?

They realized that the many features made the app not very user-friendly, so they decided to focus on one thing: posting and sharing pictures.

14. How many users did Instagram reach within one month of its launch?

Within one month of its launch, Instagram reached around 1 million users.

15. Which company acquired Instagram in 2012, and for how much?

For one billion dollars, Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012.

16. How much did Kevin Systrom make from the sale of Instagram?

Approximately $400 million was Systrom’s share from the sale of Instagram.

17. What were some of Kevin Systrom’s contributions to Instagram over the years?

In addition to the idea, his contributions to Instagram included introducing video features, filters, and the Explore tab. He also created the X-Pro II filter during Instagram’s Burbn phase.

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