
How Pinterest Drives Sustainable Growth - jwegan
http://engineering.pinterest.com/post/86533331849/how-pinterest-drives-sustainable-growth
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monkmartinez
I am a nerd. I am also a firefighter. Those disclaimers aside, I wonder about
the real, practical application of social media. If Pinterest, Facebook and
Twitter disappeared from the face of the internet tomorrow, how much would
society really lose?

The sustainable growth of Pinterest is fascinating to the analytical aspect of
my brain, but the common sense, practical firefighter part of my brain
struggles with why it exists in the first place. I see people sick people at
shelters browsing Facebook (on their phones/tablets via wifi) and literally
cannot believe my eyes.

I have signed up and participated on all major social media sites, but have
ultimately left them behind. My life wasn't drastically improved while using
Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. I have read more books and engaged in lively
(albeit slower and more thoughtful) conversations via email since disavowing
their use.

I guess my point is that social media, in its current incarnation, hasn't
cemented utility beyond advertising. Most of these sites tend to afflict one
with or are used because of ennui, in my opinion.

~~~
mikemikemike
If you haven't noticed the impact social media has had on our world, you have
not been paying attention. Yes, people waste an astounding amount of time with
it. People (and businesses) are also more connected than ever before. I've
learned that people I know died through social media, I've generated sales for
small businesses through social media, and revolutions have been coordinated
through social media: [http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2014/01/18/if-
you-dou...](http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2014/01/18/if-you-doubt-
that-social-media-has-changed-the-world-take-a-look-at-ukraine/)

~~~
monkmartinez
I am paying attention, that is why I question the very existence of these
types of sites. Everything you mentioned was possible long before the
invention of the telegram... what is your point? I will stick to my guns here:
Most of these sites tend to afflict one with or are used because of ennui, in
my opinion. Beyond that... nothing.

~~~
mercer
A number of my good friendships would not have existed without Facebook to
bridge the gap that a traveling lifestyle created between our initial contact
and our later co-existence.

Could we have simply sent letters, or emails? Yes, but we probably wouldn't
have done this. Does this benefit offset the negative impact of sites like
Facebook? I don't know, and I think it's too early to tell.

But to say these sites are not useful is a bit too extreme a statement, in my
opinion. I know many people who happily use social sites just to augment their
social lives...

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orthecreedence
Sustainable growth...until you run out of new people who want to use
pinterest.

This type of thinking is pervasive not just in startup culture but in American
capitalism itself. It's a system completely based on the concept of growth;
without growth it dies. Yet people pretend like growth is infinite: There will
always be more users, there will always be more resources, the market will
adapt. You tell them that growth is finite and they scream "communist!!" at
you.

If you want sustainability, take a look at concepts from nature. The
populations that achieve equilibrium with their environment persist, while
those that grow unchecked eventually consume all their available resources and
die.

It's not that you can't have a viable business without growth, it's that a lot
of companies think enormous growth is _the only way_.

Maybe pinterest should try making money before growing forever. _That_ would
be more sustainable.

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pearjuice
By definition growth is not sustainable. That's why every object has a maximum
physical size limit. Just because something is growing doesn't mean it is
sustainable. But in an ecosphere where userbase size is the metric,
sustainability is just a literatural reference.

~~~
natedesmond
I think you just invented a word... and I like it.

The world needs fewer literatural references.

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joshdance
Pretty disappointed in all the graphs that are just example graphs and don't
use real data. Just take the axis' off like pg if you don't want to share that
data.

