Ben Silbermann at Startup School SV 2016

During his college years at Yale, having access to a laptop and high-speed internet was transformative for Ben. He fell in love with the idea of universal information access and began playing 'what if' games about using the internet to solve problems.

The initial idea for Pinterest came from Ben Silbermann and Evan, who wanted a tool to collect things online, inspired by their childhood love for collecting and the idea of a digital catalog. They found enjoyment in using it themselves before releasing it publicly.

Pinterest initially struggled to gain traction, with friends not fully understanding the concept. They found early adopters among people using it for everyday life planning, and actively engaged with bloggers who resonated with the product's vision.

One of the significant challenges was funding, especially in 2008 when the economy had collapsed. They struggled to find investors and ultimately secured their first seed money through a college business plan competition prize.

Ben emphasized learning from mistakes and moving forward, a mentality that took time to develop, contrasting with his doctor parents' meticulous approach. Embracing risk and understanding that learning is more important than avoiding errors helped them navigate challenges.

His role has shifted from direct product involvement to focusing on building an organization and hiring people who can execute the vision better. This involves more communication, learning management skills, and unifying the team around a singular product vision.

A core value is user obsession, striving to make decisions based on what's best for 'Pinners.' Uniquely, Pinterest prioritizes diversity in skills and backgrounds, believing it leads to better products by bringing varied perspectives together.