Kevin Synstrom was a tinkerer. He had a day job but his desire to learn taught him coding at night. His friend Mike also like to make apps in his spare time. The gentlemen created a check-in app called Bourbon which wasn’t much different from others. As they talked how to improve, they decided to add a picture feature which would set them apart from other check in apps. As Kevin stated, everyone had a camera in their pocket. Many people didn’t trust their picture taking abilities until Instagram added filters which allowed them to compete with more qualified photographers. People were signing up for Instagram so quickly that the computer system failed yet the people forgave them and blamed their personal systems.
An entrepreneur can sometimes easily spot the missing element. At other times, the entrepreneur may stumble on the one thing people want. Instagram found this niche somewhat by accident. The inventors created a way for people to take exceptional pictures with the phones and to share their pictures with friends and family. Kevin and Mike kept working on the app and showing it to people until it caught on. Persistence was key in their success as well as a bit of luck. Kevin stated he thought they were “in the right place at the right time.”
Many things in life happen with a mixture of luck as well as hard work. Some may consider luck the result of hard work. I have often shared my mantra with my students and my children. “If you do what you are supposed to do and not worry about what others are doing, your rewards will follow.” So many times, I have heard people complain that “but they aren’t doing that” and I remind them to not worry about what others are doing. Work hard, keep at it, and figure out what the people want. If you are a trash collector, be the best trash collector. If you are a cheerleader, be the best cheerleader. Pay attention to what brings success and strive to get more of that in your life.
I think about the conveniences in life and wonder why was it invented? Why do we have lights? Why do we have telephones? Why do we have apps for our phones? Someone had an idea and acted on it. Kevin and Mike had an idea and were able to convert it to an app that allowed anyone to take great pictures as well as allow others to see those pictures. They truly had no idea how big it would become and certainly were happy with the results. They had not prepared for the rapid growth, however, they pushed on and found a way to meet the needs of the people. As Thomas Edison said “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” Anyone can have an idea –what you do with that idea is what is truly important.