How did Instagram's founders envision the future of the platform?

Instagram's founders, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, envisioned the future of the platform as a place for visual storytelling, community-building, and creativity. They focused on maintaining the app's simplicity, fostering a sense of community, and providing users with tools and features to express themselves and connect with others. Here are some ways the founders envisioned the future of Instagram:

1. Visual storytelling: Instagram's founders saw the platform as a place for users to share their experiences, tell stories, and express themselves through visual content. They focused on providing users with tools and features to enhance their photos and videos, making it easier for them to tell their stories and connect with others.
2. Community-building: Instagram's founders emphasized the importance of community-building and fostering a sense of belonging among users. They believed that by creating a platform where users could connect with like-minded individuals, they could create a more engaged and loyal user base.
3. Creativity: Instagram's founders saw the platform as a place for creativity and self-expression. They provided users with tools and features to enhance their photos and videos, enabling them to create unique and engaging content that could be shared with others.
4. Simplicity: Despite the platform's growth and evolution, Instagram's founders remained committed to maintaining the app's simplicity and user experience. They resisted the temptation to add too many features or clutter the interface, focusing instead on enhancing the core features that made Instagram popular.
5. Expanding the platform: Instagram's founders saw opportunities to expand the platform beyond photo and video sharing. They introduced features such as direct messaging, Stories, and IGTV, which enabled users to connect and engage with each other in new and innovative ways.
6. Monetization: Instagram's founders recognized the potential for monetization and introduced advertising options for businesses and brands. However, they remained committed to maintaining the app's user experience and ensuring that advertising did not detract from the platform's core features and values.

By focusing on visual storytelling, community-building, creativity, simplicity, expanding the platform, and monetization, Instagram's founders were able to create a leading social media platform that has resonated with millions of users around the world.