First1000: How Instagram Acquired Its First 1000 Users

In this First1000 story, we uncover how Instagram transformed from a simple photo-sharing app into one of the most iconic social media platforms in the world. Founded in 2010, Instagram took the tech world by storm, growing from its first 1000 users to a billion. Here’s how co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger leveraged simplicity, exclusivity, and a tight-knit community to achieve rapid early growth.

Founding Instagram: The Idea Behind the Platform

The journey began when Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger developed an app called Burbn to allow users to share their locations and post photos. After noticing that photo-sharing was the feature users enjoyed most, they decided to pivot, stripping away all but the core elements of photo posting, filtering, and sharing. Thus, Instagram was born. With a focus on aesthetics and simplicity, the app became a way for users to share snippets of their lives in a visually appealing way.

Ingenious Strategies to Acquire the First 1000 Users

1. Exclusivity and Limited Availability: Instagram launched as an iPhone-only app, which helped generate buzz among tech enthusiasts. By initially limiting access, they created a sense of exclusivity that intrigued early adopters. The launch was timed with Apple's App Store’s rapid growth, and iPhone users became Instagram’s first advocates.
2. Minimal Design, Maximum Function: From the outset, Instagram’s appeal lay in its simplicity. While other social media platforms tried to offer multiple features, Instagram focused solely on photo-sharing with a few stylish filters. This made the platform intuitive and inviting, helping it stand out as a “no-frills” app. This minimalist design encouraged word-of-mouth recommendations as users enjoyed a streamlined, visually-focused experience that didn’t require extensive onboarding.
3. Influential Tech Media Coverage: Systrom had previously worked in tech and leveraged his connections to generate buzz around Instagram’s launch. The founders invited notable tech writers and bloggers to test the app before launch, leading to early media coverage on popular tech sites. This strategic move created anticipation and gave the app credibility, drawing in curious users who wanted to see what the excitement was about.
4. Leveraging Early Power Users: Instagram’s first adopters included influential photographers and design enthusiasts. The founders invited well-connected and influential users to join the platform, knowing they would naturally promote it to their networks. Early photographers on Instagram brought in an audience appreciative of visually stunning content, helping to define the app’s culture and bring in a steady flow of like-minded users.
5. Word-of-Mouth and Viral Growth: Once Instagram was available, its visually appealing design and ease of use quickly spread among friends and networks. Users who enjoyed sharing photos began inviting others, and the app’s simplicity made it easy for new users to join in. In less than 24 hours after launch, Instagram had already hit 25,000 downloads. Within the first week, the app had 100,000 users, and word-of-mouth referrals continued to drive growth.

Instagram Today

Today, Instagram has over 1 billion monthly active users and is a major force in the social media landscape. Acquired by Facebook (now Meta) in 2012 for $1 billion, Instagram has grown into a multibillion-dollar platform, introducing new features like Stories, Reels, and in-app shopping. With a valuation exceeding $100 billion today, Instagram remains at the forefront of social media innovation.

What is First1000?

First1000 is a series that delves into the fascinating early days of successful companies, highlighting the strategies that helped them attract their first 1000 users. Each article offers insights into the growth hacks and pivots that propelled these companies into the mainstream.