Pinterest's CEO Ben Silbermann discussed 6 insights about what makes Pinterest great at a talk: 1) People, not algorithms, curate content and create the "magic moments" on Pinterest. 2) Pinterest allows users to search for inspiration like libraries did with their picture collections. 3) Pinterest shows users what's possible by having billions of images curated by tens of millions of people.

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of
6 insights from Pinterest’s Co-Founder &
CEO talks on what makes his site great:
It’s Pinterest: the Magic of Discovery
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2. PINTEREST: THE MAGIC OF DISCOVERY
human
Nature
People, not algorithms, put the magic into digital
a-ha moments, Silbermann told the audience.
The image-driven site may be rooted in
interesting technology, but ultimately it’s
all about visual splendor and creativity. He
unveiled the company’s first ad, which showed
featured people using Pinterest to get excited
about heading off on a trip, working out, or
setting up a barbequing area in their yard.
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3. PINTEREST: THE MAGIC OF DISCOVERY
Search—and
Discover
In the early 1900s, people went to libraries to
look things up. Google is like the Dewey Decimal
system, founded to help people navigate the
stacks, Silbermann said. But to find reliable
sources of inspiration for esoteric topics, they
headed to the picture collection of the New York
Public Library. That resource was inspiring.
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4. PINTEREST: THE MAGIC OF DISCOVERY
Seeing what's
Possible
Google changed the world: Now you can do a get
a quick snapshot of someone’s life before you
go out for dinner with her. But search doesn’t
answer open-ended, creativity-based questions,
Silbermann said. Pinterest is searchable
and creative. “We have tens of millions of
curators and tens of billions of images,” he
said. "It’s all about seeing what is possible.”
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5. PINTEREST: THE MAGIC OF DISCOVERY
Finding Your
Crowd
Pinterest doesn’t just share collections. It
allows you to find collections of similar tastes,
to delve deeper into your own tastes and
preferences. What kind of furniture do you want
to set up? What kind of wedding would you like?
Pinterest helps you figure those things out.
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6. PINTEREST: THE MAGIC OF DISCOVERY
Bred in the
bone
Pinterest “unlocks the genius of people,”
Silbermann said. Being a genius isn't necessarily
being masterful. Rather, the term is derived
from the Latin word genere, meaning inborn
ability. We all have some, he said, and they
key is to have a place to tap into it.
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7. PINTEREST: THE MAGIC OF DISCOVERY
“People, not
algorithms,
put the
magic into
digital a-ha
moments"
Ben Silbermann, Co-founder & CEO, Pinterest