In their early days, Instagram treated all followers the same. This worked great for new users because they could follow and keep up-to-date with many celebrities. But, in 2016, IG noticed many people would leave the app after 7-8 months. This happened because when new users started posting photos of their own nobody would react to them. It felt like posting in an echo chamber.IG fixed it in 2017 by prioritizing posts from friends and ensuring new users connected to a few friends early on. It helped users get reactions from their friends and feel validated, and led to a 2x retention.

Instagram doubled their retention by prioritizing friends

Bangaly Kaba was an early growth PM at Facebook, head of growth at Instagram, and VP of Product at Instacart and is currently Director of Product at YouTube overseeing a global team working on creator monetization. Bangaly has also been a growth advisor to dozens of companies, including Twitter, on the board of multiple companies, and is an active angel investor. In our conversation, we discuss: • ⁠⁠A simple framework for choosing where to work and what to work on • ⁠⁠The importance of “understand work” • ⁠⁠The “adjacent users” theory and how it can help you drive growth • ⁠⁠Advice for coaching product managers • ⁠⁠Invaluable lessons from his time at Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube • ⁠⁠Much more — Brought to you by: • ⁠Uizard⁠—AI-powered prototyping for visionary product leaders • ⁠Mercury⁠—The powerful and intuitive way for ambitious companies to bank • ⁠Vanta⁠—Automate compliance. Simplify security. — Find the transcript and references at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/frameworks-for-growing-your-career-bangaly-kaba — Where to find Bangaly Kaba: • X: https://twitter.com/iambangaly • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iambangaly/ • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambangaly/ — Where to find Lenny: • Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com • X: https://twitter.com/lennysan • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/ — In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Bangaly’s background (06:31) Choosing where to work and what to work on (08:39) The impact factor (10:53) Evaluating the environment (15:53) The manager component (18:27) The skills part of the equation  (23:49) Advice on finding a mentor (25:42) The power of “understand work” (31:17) Operationalizing understand work (37:55) Balancing understand work  (41:25) Managing complex change (45:26) Effective management of product managers (51:35) The role of product managers as coaches and team leaders (54:52) Driving growth through flywheels and value proposition (01:03:14) Understanding adjacent users (01:08:41) The role of partnerships and SEO in Instagram’s early growth (01:16:08) The secret behind Instagram’s growth (01:25:37) Lessons from Facebook (01:29:15) Failure corner (01:31:58) Lightning round — Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com. — Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.

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Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover concrete, actionable, and tactical advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product. www.lennysnewsletter.com

Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

Unorthodox frameworks for growing your product, career, and impact | Bangaly Kaba (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Instacart)

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Change requires a cohesive strategy involving vision, skills, incentives, resources, and an action plan

Impact-generating work involves understanding the core problem first, then identifying and executing solutions. Skipped understanding leads to ineffective efforts. This "understand, identify, execute" approach helps in making informed decisions.

Deciding where to work involves considering the environment and your skills. Factors like management, resources, team culture, and compensation play a critical roles. Impact, not compensation, should be the primary goal.

Growth involves catering not just to current users but to adjacent potential users. Understanding the needs and barriers of these 'next' users can unlock substantial growth opportunities by expanding the user base effectively.

Initial interactions, like onboarding, are crucial for retaining new users. Often, enhancing the user journey from onboarding to habit formation can significantly impact growth and user retention.

Strategic partnerships, especially in hyper-growth phases or established markets, can be pivotally. For Instagram, partnerships with celebrities played a key role in driving user growth and engagement.

Failures, such as not aligning with a company's immediate needs or culture, provide learning opportunities. It's important to understand both the company's and your own objectives and how they align before committing.

Having multiple mentors and being exposed to different viewpoints can accelerate personal growth and skill development. Actively seeking diverse insights and advice can help navigate career challenges effectively.

Unorthodox frameworks for growing your product, career, and impact | Bangaly Kaba (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Instacart)

Instagram doubled their retention by prioritizing friends

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