Why Instagram launched Stories as a bolt-on and not as a separate app

As a product creator, you have to ask why Instagram Stories was launched as a bolt on?

Instagram added a second camera app. Two different entry points, two canvases and, two tool palettes. People are confused about what it is.

Once you figure out how Instagram Stories works, there’s a high cognitive load to choose the right camera.

On Instagram original, how do I know before I take the photo that it should be ephemeral or permanent? How many photos have you discarded?

Instagram always had ephemeral photos. It’s just they only lasted a few seconds until you discarded them. No one else but you saw them.

In Instagram, what if the core flow was to capture a story. After, the creator decides what’s good enough for their permanent “gallery”.

Instagram does enable posting from Stories to the Gallery, but it’s quite hidden.

Alternative Instagram Stories flow. What if the capture flow used the original camera, offering you to share the photos you discard?

The Instagram habit takes them through the original camera flow. That’s where the new Stories feature should have been placed.

There’s a narrative that says likes in Instagram creates a high bar for what’s good enough to not delete after posting.

Many pronounce that feedback isn’t important for ephemeral photos.

Feedback is critical for ephemeral photos (and videos).

What’s not needed for ephemeral photos is public feedback. You still need private feedback.

You wont post anything on Instagram (or Snapchat) without feedback powering the habit. Private or public feedback.

Snapchat has a private view-count. Even better it shows who exactly watched! Instagram Stories has this too.

Instagram copied the view-count feedback feature because it’s critical. They copied the feedback loop.

Do people care more about perfectly curated photos or raw throwaway photos? Will Instagram be a bigger network with ephemeral moments?

Change Instagram to have one camera for Stories and Gallery. One palette. The creator decides which canvas size to use. One capture flow.

If Instagram fixes the two-cameras issue (Stories and Gallery), they could have a much bigger network and not kill their core base.

You have to ask why Instagram launched Stories as a bolt on and not a separate app?

Did Instagram launch Stories as a bolt on because they know it’s all moving to one camera in the near future?

Instagram launching Stories as a bolt on was the first iteration,. They know they need support ephemeral at the core.

The Instagram team is smart. They didn’t launch Stories as a separate app. They didn’t interrupt the core flow. For now.

Instagram Stories feels a little half-arsed. However it’s very strategic.