Headline October 05, 2018/ '' ' PINTEREST'S RETICENCE *PING-PONG* ' ''

'' ' PINTEREST'S RETICENCE 

*PING-PONG* ' ''

IF PINTEREST OR for that matter : The World Students Society continue with their trajectories, it could change the narrative of what it takes to build a world class and a successful organisation.
 
BEN SILBERMANN does not enjoy being interviewed, He isn't a fan of speaking at tech industry conferences. Nor does he like sitting for glossy magazine portraits.

He doesn't think he should have to explain Pinterest - the web service that allows people to save images to virtual pinboards - to anyone other than those who want to use it.

That is the case even in the last couple of years, when Pinterest and Mr. Silbermann, its co-founder and chief executive, could have been shouting the company's virtues from the rooftops.

Its peers - Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter - have been drowning in toxic harassment, fake news and Russian disinformation campaigns.

Critics have denounced anxiety and addiction induced by social media.

Pinterest, by Mr.Silbermann's design, is the opposite : the web's last bastion of quaint innocence. Having de-emphasized   its social media elements years ago, Pinterest aims to be a  safe and happy  place for inspiration, self-improvement and salted caramel cookie recipes.

It rejects the formula of moving fast, breaking things, chasing growth at all costs and bragging about every victory, the Silicon Valley model embraced by the typical so-called unicorn : a startup valued at more than $1 billion.

But the reserved slow and steady approaches has long frustrated some investors and employees, who believe that it it has neutered growth, according to interviews with more than a dozen people who have worked with or for the company.

Many of those people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the company's private affairs.

Matt Novak, a partner at All Blue Capital, said his firm was trying to sell its stake in Pinterest, which the firm acquired on the secondary market, because it had not lived up to its potential.

''If they don't keep up, they very quickly become prehistoric,'' said Mr. Novak, who would not disclose the size of his firm's stake in Pinterest.

And yet despite Mr. Silbermann's approach or maybe because of it - the company is worth  $12.3 billion and growth is accelerating. In recent days, the company crossed a new milestone - 250 million monthly active users.

Those users have pinned 175 billion items on 3 virtual pinboards.

The company is on track to top $700 million in revenue this year, a 50 percent increase over last year, according to a person familiar with the company. There is a wide speculation that it will go public next year. 

If Pinterest continues its trajectory, it could change the narrative of what it takes to build a successful company in Silicon Valley. If it doesn't, it'll  serve as another example of wasted potential, or worse, a cautionary tale.

''I tell them, ''You have to tell your story, especially now,'' said Scott Belsky, an entrepreneur who was an early investor in Pinterest.

Mr. Belsky said, ''He is so comfortable being misunderstood and underestimated.''

When Mr. Silberman was asked about the limited public profile in a recent interview, he noted with a  hint of exasperation that he was right there, talking to me for this article.

''That's something!'' he said.

The Honor and Serving of the latest Operational Research on great companies continues. The World Students Society thanks author and researcher Erin Grifffith.

With respectful dedication to Pinterest, the Students, Professors and Teachers of the world.

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