Interview with Adam Mosseri

In a candid conversation with Colin and Samir, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri pulled back the curtain on the platform's strategic evolution, the intricate dance of its algorithms, and the ever-complex world of creator monetization. From his "schizophrenic" daily schedule to the unexpected importance of "sends" in driving content, Mosseri offered a transparent glimpse into leading one of the world's most influential social networks.

The "Schizophrenic" Daily Life of an Instagram CEO

Adam Mosseri’s journey from product designer at Facebook in 2008 to the head of Instagram in 2018 is a testament to adaptability and a unique skill set. He describes his current role as a "very strange gig," highlighting the sheer breadth of responsibilities that can unfold before lunch. "It's a very strange gig, you know, in the same day I might talk to a policy maker about a very serious safety issue, I might talk about the relative allocation of CPUs and gpus in 2026..." Mosseri shares, emphasizing the "schizophrenic" nature of balancing high-level strategy with deeply technical and interpersonal challenges. His rise, he notes, wasn't about being exceptionally good at one thing, but rather being "reliable" and having "a lot of range," a generalist approach that proved advantageous as he transitioned from design to product management and eventually to executive leadership. This ability to wear many hats, coupled with a deep-seated trust developed over years of working with Mark Zuckerberg, has been crucial.

Key Learnings:

• Embrace Generalism: A broad skill set and adaptability are highly valuable in rapidly evolving tech leadership roles.
• Build Trust: Long-term professional growth, especially with influential figures, relies on consistent reliability and trust.
• Strategic Flexibility: Executives must navigate a vast array of topics, from policy and infrastructure to product launches and personnel management.

Instagram's Video Evolution: More Than Just Content, It's Conversation

The Instagram of today is a far cry from its early days of square, hyper-saturated photos. Mosseri openly acknowledges the frustration this evolution can cause for users accustomed to a certain experience, but stresses the imperative for change. "If we had stuck with a feed of square photos... we wouldn't be anywhere near as relevant as we are today," he states, underscoring the platform's constant battle against irrelevance. Video now accounts for over half the time spent on Instagram in most countries, but crucially, it's designed to be a "participatory, lean-in experience," distinct from the more passive consumption often found on platforms like YouTube or TikTok. For Instagram, a video's success is increasingly tied to its ability to spark conversation. Colin and Samir beautifully articulate this, viewing Instagram videos as "a unit of conversation," where the ultimate success metric is often driven by shares to friends via DMs. Mosseri agrees, describing it as a "flywheel" where discovery leads to sharing, which sparks conversation, leading to further discovery and connection.

Key Changes:

• Video Dominance: Over 50% of time spent on Instagram is now dedicated to video, marking a significant shift from its photo-centric origins.
• Participatory Experience: Instagram aims for active engagement, encouraging users to discover, share, and discuss content with friends.
• DM-Driven Success: The platform's success metrics increasingly value content that prompts direct message shares, fostering personal connections.

Unlocking the Algorithm: The Unsung Power of "Sends"

For many creators, the Instagram algorithm remains a "black box," a source of endless speculation and frustration. Mosseri demystified this, revealing the paramount importance of one metric: "sends per reach." This statistic, which measures how many people sent a piece of content to a friend relative to its total reach, is the strongest indicator of value to the community. He notes, "One of the most important things to look at if you're trying to evaluate how your videos or anything is doing on Instagram is definitely the sends. Sends I would look at sends per reach." This metric prioritizes content that fosters genuine connection and conversation over simple likes or comments, which can sometimes be misleading. He also highlighted the difference between "connected reach" (followers) and "unconnected reach" (recommendations in Explore or Reels tab), stressing that the latter is crucial for small creators and niche interests. For creators, the advice is clear: prioritize content that people feel compelled to share with a specific individual or group. He also advises focusing on the "packaging" of a short-form video. "The packaging of a short form piece of content is the first frame and the visual hook... should be able to be understood without language," emphasizing the need for visually compelling content that transcends linguistic barriers, especially given that roughly half of all video impressions are watched with the sound off.

Key Practices:

• Prioritize Shareability: Design content specifically to be shared in DMs, aiming for emotional resonance that compels personal sharing.
• Optimize Visual Hooks: Ensure the first frame and visual elements are compelling and understandable without sound or language.
• Leverage Niche Interests: Recommendations on Instagram aim to help small creators and niche content find engaged audiences, expanding reach beyond direct followers.
• Utilize Captions: Given that approximately half of video impressions are viewed with sound off, clear and visible captions are essential for comprehension.

The Creator-First Mandate and the Monetization Maze

Instagram's strategic focus is squarely on "creators," defined as individuals with some commercial intent, distinguishing them from traditional "publishers" like brands or news outlets. Mosseri explains this choice by observing a global shift in power from institutions to individuals, mirroring trends seen in sports, music, and news. "People want to see the world through the eyes of another individual that they relate to or that they look up to more than they want to consume content from a publisher," he explains. Keeping creators happy is complex, encompassing reach, safety, the ability to connect with fans and other creators (often through DMs), and, for a smaller subset, revenue. While revenue is paramount for professional creators, Mosseri shared that for the vast majority of smaller creators, it's not the primary focus.

The conversation delves deep into the challenges of short-form video monetization, particularly compared to YouTube's established long-form revenue share. Mosseri admits the difficulty in creating a sustainable revenue-sharing model for Reels, primarily due to complex attribution and the risk of "burning cash" through programs that don't yield incremental revenue. "Tik Tok hurt us in 2020, 2021, but it hurt them way more," he noted, hinting at the competitive pressure to innovate in this space. Instagram is experimenting with "bonuses" – performance-based incentives – but finds it's easier for photos than videos, as creators tend to produce higher quality incremental content for photos. He emphasizes the need for any monetization program to be financially sustainable and deliver "credible" and consistent checks to creators, acknowledging the volatile nature of the ad business. Instagram's priority remains its core identity: "connecting people over creativity," even if it means not aggressively pursuing long-form video that might dilute that focus.

Key Insights:

• Creator-Centric Strategy: Instagram prioritizes individual creators over traditional publishers, believing power continues to shift to individuals.
• Holistic Creator Happiness: Beyond revenue, creator satisfaction hinges on reach, safety, and opportunities for authentic connection with fans and peers.
• Short-Form Monetization Challenges: Sustainable revenue-sharing for short-form video is complex due to attribution issues and the difficulty of ensuring incremental ROI.
• Consistency over Spikes: Instagram aims for monetization programs that provide stable, credible income, recognizing creators as businesses needing predictable cash flow.

"I think the biggest risk that any platform like ours faces is that the world as it continues to change faster and faster gets away from you and you just become irrelevant because you can't keep up." - Adam Mosseri