As a tech company, we are constantly changing and adapting to the needs and pressures of the marketplace. But as our platform continues to evolve and deliver content more beautifully and efficiently, we also find ourselves hearkening back to the fundamentals, trusting a few basic lessons about people and stories that we learned from running a successful publishing company and art gallery.

Digital has done much to level the field of photography, both on the production and consumption fronts. Where once only professional photographers could afford to take great photos, now almost everyone carries a camera of at least moderate quality in her pocket. And because photos and multimedia are shared so regularly across so many channels (we upload approximately 1.8 billion photos every day), the average Joe sifts through tons of content daily. The stuff that catches his eye is unique, timely, well conceived and well composed. The average Joe is discerning, so give him something with high production value; he is bored with content, so give him something that will delight, surprise, or outrage him.