335: Kevin Systrom | Life Lessons from an Instagram Founder Part One

Receiving Feedback

Receiving feedback can be challenging, especially when personal effort is involved. Kevin Systrom shares that asking for feedback by expressing a genuine desire to improve can make others more willing to provide it. He notes, "I really want to improve and the only way I'm going to improve is if you let me know what stinks about this" 1. Jordan Harbinger adds that people often hesitate to give honest feedback due to social pressures, even when it could lead to better outcomes 2.

   

Seeking Feedback

Proactively seeking feedback is crucial for growth, yet it often requires persistence. Kevin Systrom emphasizes the importance of actively asking for feedback, as people rarely offer it unsolicited 3. He recounts a personal experience where he had to repeatedly ask for opinions on a meal he prepared to get honest responses. Systrom suggests using strategies like forced ranking to elicit more truthful feedback 4.

   

Expertise Dimensions

Determining whose feedback is valuable depends on their expertise in the relevant area. Kevin Systrom advises against generalizing someone's credibility across all domains, suggesting instead to seek out those with specific expertise 5. He explains, "You have to seek out people who aren't just impressive but rather are impressive on that specific thing." This approach was crucial when designing Instagram's logo, where they consulted branding experts rather than relying on general opinions.