Snapchat is a popular social media app that allows users to share photos, videos, and messages that disappear after being viewed. The ephemeral nature of Snapchat content made it stand out from other social platforms when it first launched in 2011. But how did this innovative app get its start?
The Origin Story
Snapchat was created by three Stanford University students – Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown. In 2011, the trio were looking for a way to send disappearing photo messages. They saw a gap in the social media landscape for an app that allowed temporary sharing in a casual and fun way.
The original idea for Snapchat came about in April 2011. Evan Spiegel was a product design student at Stanford and he was discussing potential product ideas with some classmates. One idea that came up was sending disappearing photos to others. Spiegel became interested in this concept and started working on an app prototype with Bobby Murphy, who studied mathematics and computer science at Stanford.
Spiegel and Murphy spent the summer of 2011 building the first version of Snapchat. They launched the initial iOS app in July 2011 under the original name “Picaboo.” The app allowed users to send photos to others that would disappear after being viewed. The temporary nature of the content aimed to make sharing more fun, spontaneous, and authentic.
Naming the App
The Picaboo name only lasted for a short time. In late 2011, Spiegel and Murphy changed the name to Snapchat after receiving a cease and desist letter from an image company called Picaboo. The team started calling their creation “Snapchat” when sending notes back and forth while building the app. They decided to make Snapchat the official name.
There are a few different accounts of where the actual name “Snapchat” originated:
- Evan Spiegel claims he was inspired by friend Daniel Smith’s photo-heavy blog called “Snapshots Near You.” Spiegel shortened “snapshots” to “snaps.”
- Others attribute the name to a comment made by Reggie Brown (the third Stanford collaborator) about photos coming and going in a “snap.”
- Bobby Murphy’s girlfriend at the time was inspired by the snapping sound of sending photos quickly.
Whichever origin story is true, the Snapchat name stuck once it changed from Picaboo in late 2011.
App Features and Growth
The first version of Snapchat focused solely on ephemeral photo sharing. Users could take a photo in the app or import one from their camera roll, add a caption or drawing, then send it to friends. The photo would disappear after being viewed once. These self-deleting images became known as “snaps.”
Here is a look at some key features Snapchat rolled out and milestones hit in its first couple years:
- October 2012 – Added ability to record videos
- December 2012 – Hit 1 million daily active users
- April 2013 – Launched front-facing camera feature
- May 2013 – Added “Stories” feature for sharing snaps in chronological order
- June 2013 – Images could now be shared from camera roll instead of just taken directly in app
- September 2013 – Users reached 5 million
- October 2013 – Added “My Story” for sharing snaps publicly
- November 2013 – Launched native Android app after being iOS exclusive
This rapid development and user growth in the first couple years signaled Snapchat’s rising popularity and emergence as a new force in social media.
Financing and Legal Battles
With Snapchat’s success came opportunities for significant outside investment. Here’s an overview of Snapchat’s early financing rounds and legal disputes:
- February 2012 – Raised $485k seed round
- June 2012 – Settled trademark dispute with Picaboo photography company, resulting in the app name change to Snapchat
- February 2013 – Raised $13.5 million Series A round led by Benchmark capital
- June 2013 – Co-founder Reggie Brown sued Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy over ownership; Brown later settled out of court for $158 million
- July 2013 – Raised $80 million Series B round led by Institutional Venture Partners
This funding from prominent venture capital firms allowed Snapchat to invest in its technology and continue growing at a breakneck pace.
Emergence of Snap Inc.
By late 2014, Snapchat was ready to expand beyond just ephemeral messaging. This led to the creation of Snap Inc. as the parent company:
- September 2014 – Rebranded from Snapchat Inc. to Snap Inc.
- October 2014 – Launched creative tool “Snapchat Context Cards”
- November 2014 – Announced plans to develop other products like wearables
With the Snap Inc. rebrand, the Snapchat app became Snap Inc.’s flagship product. The company planned to use its expertise in ephemerality and creativity across new consumer platforms.
Continued Evolution
In 2015 and beyond, Snapchat continued rapidly evolving and expanding its feature set:
- January 2015 – Created “Discover” section for content from media partners
- April 2015 – Launched in-app purchase “Lenses” for overlaying visual effects
- July 2015 – Started offering “Sponsored Lenses” and other advertising
- September 2015 – Rolled out “Live Stories” to share events in real-time
- April 2016 – Launched augmented reality “Filters” for overlaying effects
- August 2016 – Hit 150 million daily active users
- November 2016 – Introduced ephemeral messaging product “Snapchat Stories”
- February 2017 – Rebranded as Snap Inc. and completed IPO
Snapchat continued expanding the app into a full-fledged camera and social media platform throughout 2016 and into its IPO in early 2017. The app’s growth was fueled by creative tools like Lenses, Discover content, and Stories for ephemerally sharing your day.
Financial Growth
Here is a snapshot of Snapchat’s finances through its first 6 years:
| Year | Valuation | Revenue | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | $70 million | $0 | 4 |
| 2013 | $800 million | $0 | 30 |
| 2014 | $10 billion | $3.1 million | 50 |
| 2015 | $15 billion | $59 million | 300 |
| 2016 | $18 billion | $405 million | 1,500 |
| 2017 | $33 billion | $825 million | 3,000 |
Snapchat experienced incredible growth in the first 6 years across valuation, revenue, and employees as the app took off. The company was still losing money overall, but continued attracting investor interest.
Competitive Pressure
Snapchat’s meteoric rise led other social networks like Facebook to take notice and clone some of its features:
- November 2013 – Facebook launched Snapchat competitor “Poke,” but it failed to gain traction
- August 2016 – Instagram copied Snapchat’s Stories feature into Instagram Stories
- March 2017 – Facebook rolled out more Snapchat-like features in cameras across its apps
Instagram Stories ended up being the most directly competitive threat. By copying Stories, Instagram provided an alternative place for users to post ephemeral content without having to go through Snapchat.
Conclusion
Snapchat delivered a fundamentally new way for people to share and consume mobile content when it launched in 2011. By allowing photos and videos to self-destruct rather than persist online forever, Snapchat enabled authentic and fun sharing without as much pressure. Creative tools like Lenses and Discover transformed Snapchat from a simple utility into a diverse social media and entertainment platform.
Of course, Snapchat has continued evolving since its first 6 years. But it was the app’s meteoric rise and its introduction of ephemeral content in the early days that allowed it to fundamentally reshape the social media landscape. Despite competitive pressure from copying by Instagram, Snapchat still retains a strong user base today thanks to the power of its core ephemerality concept and the constant introduction of innovative features.