Kevin Systrom is the co-founder of Instagram, the latest social networking phenomenon. As was the case with the majority of children, he was a huge fan of video games and even created his own levels while playing the game ‘Doom 2’. He eventually developed an affinity for programming and advanced as a programmer while still a student. He was capable enough to be selected for the ‘Mayfield Fellows Program,’ which honed his technology skills. He earned a bachelor’s degree in management science and engineering and embarked on a career that would have a profound impact on social networking activities. He began his career with the technology giant ‘Google’ before joining a startup company called ‘Nextstop’. While at Nextstop, he had the idea to create the next big thing in the world of the internet. Initially, he and his associate Mike developed an application called ‘Burbn,’ but it proved to be far too complicated and difficult for users to operate. Thus, the duo played a pivotal role in the birth of the latest social networking phenomenon, dubbed ‘Instagram.’ Instagram has established itself as a connotative term that requires no introduction. Continue reading to learn more about this renowned internet entrepreneur’s life and work.
Childhood & Adolescence
He was born in Holliston, Massachusetts on 30th December 1983 to Diane (Pels) and Douglas Systrom.
He attended the ‘Middlesex School’ in Concord, Massachusetts. He learned computer programming during his school years. As a child, he enjoyed playing the video game ‘Doom 2,’ which piqued his interest in programming.
He graduated from ‘Stanford University’ with a Bachelor of Science degree in management science and engineering.
He was a member of the ‘Sigma Nu fraternity’ during his time at the university.
He was one of twelve students chosen by the university to participate in the prestigious ‘Mayfield Fellows Program,’ which provides students with in-depth knowledge and training in high-tech entrepreneurship.
His participation in the fellowship program qualified him to work as an intern for the company ‘Odeo.’ ‘Odeo’ is the same company that created the social media platform ‘Twitter.’
Career of Kevin
He earned his bachelor’s degree in 2006 and began working for the internet service and technology giant ‘Google’ as an associate product marketing manager, where he oversaw the company’s Calendar, Gmail, Spreadsheets, and Docs products.
He began his two-year tenure at ‘Google’ working on products such as Google Reader and Gmail. The following year, he joined the company’s ‘Corporate Development Team.’
Several former ‘Google’ employees, including Adrian Graham, Charles Lin, and Carl Sjogreen, formed a new venture called ‘Nextstop’. Kevin left ‘Google’ to join the new venture as an associate.
This startup was created to help people discover new destinations and to assist them in exploring them through the use of ‘Nextstop’. On 25th September 2010, this company was acquired by the social networking site ‘Facebook.’
This exceptional programmer reasoned that location check-ins could be incorporated into popular social games and created a prototype. He discussed his concept with the founders of the venture capital firms ‘Andreessen Horowitz’ and ‘Baseline Ventures’.
His meeting with those founders appeared to be productive, and he left the ‘Nextstop’ company to further develop his concept. The investment firms ‘Andreessen Horowitz’ and ‘Baseline Ventures’ initially funded him with $500,000. Systrom and Mike Kriegerin eventually founded the ‘Burbn’ company in San Francisco.
‘Burbn’ included a variety of features, including the ability to upload photos, share locations, schedule future check-ins, and even earn points for their activities on ‘Burbn’. However, the founders quickly realized that the application’s massive features made it unusable.
The developers of ‘Burbn’ decided to simplify the application’s features and make it more user-friendly by focusing on a single function: sharing and posting photos. Thus, ushered in the new application dubbed ‘Instagram,’ which gained approximately 1 million users within a month of its launch.
Instagram, a mobile application, is named after the words ‘instant’ and ‘telegram’. The application is integrated with the device’s camera and gallery, and users can edit their images using built-in templates and settings before sharing them on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The application’s popularity was so great that the social networking site ‘Facebook’ acquired the company for $1 billion in April 2012. Kevin earned an estimated $400 million from his shares in ‘Instagram’. Kevin serves as the CEO of ‘Instagram,’ while Krieger serves as the company’s technical director.
Kevin is entrusted with the day-to-day operations and strategic development of the process. Although ‘Facebook’ acquired ‘Instagram,’ Kevin retains control over the company’s operations and functioning.
Significant Works of Kevin
He is co-founder and CEO of the popular application ‘Instagram,’ which he is credited with designing. This renowned programmer is responsible for the platform’s day-to-day development. According to recent surveys and estimates, ‘Instagram’ is worth $33 billion as of 2014.
Awards and Accomplishments
Kevin was named ‘Founder of the Year’ at the ‘6th Annual Crunchies Awards’ in 2012. In 2012, Kevin shared the ‘Webby Breakout Award’ with the co-founder of ‘Instagram.’ In 2015, he was a recipient of the ‘CFDA Social Media Award.’
Personal History and Legacies
This trailblazing programmer is said to be dating Nicole Schuetz, the founder of the ‘Sutro Energy Group.’
Estimated Net Worth
According to Celebrity NetWorth, this awe-inspiring entrepreneur is worth an estimated $800 million.