




“I think one of the things we have seen in technology over time is that the innovators win in the long run,” said Spiegel. But Spiegel downplayed the impact of its chief rival copying its features while talking to CNBC.Īlso Read: Snap CFO Drew Vollero to Exit, Replaced by Amazon Veteran Tim Stone It’s been a roller coaster ride for Snap since going public in early 2017, with the company’s share price hovering below its IPO, and Instagram, Facebook’s popular picture app, knocking off several of Snap’s best features. “We learned that combining watching Stories and communicating with friends into the same place made it harder to optimize for both competing behaviors,” said Spiegel at the time. Snap then decided to redesign its redesign, shifting Stories to the right side of the app. That changed following its Q1 earnings report in May, where Snap reported uninspiring user growth. Snap acknowledged its unhappy users, but kept the redesign in place. 1.2 million users signed a petition in February, asking for the app to revert back to its classic design. The move was a dud with Snapchat’s users. Snapchat unveiled its redesign earlier this year, moving all Stories and messages from friends to the left side of the app, leaving the right side for content from social stars and Snap’s publishing partners.Īlso Read: Snap CEO Roasts Facebook: 'We'd Appreciate It if They Copied Our Data Protection Practices Also' The 28-year-old said following Kerr’s input, he wasn’t “too surprised” by the public’s tepid response, and expected the rollout to be “a little choppy.”Īnd choppy it was. “First thing she said was: ‘What are you doing?'” Spiegel recalled in an interview with CNBC on Monday. Even Snap CEO Evan Spiegel’s wife, model Miranda Kerr, had reservations when she first heard about Snapchat’s dramatic redesign.
