A visual discovery engine for ideas and inspiration.
Pinterest is an American social media service for publishing and discovery of information in the form of digital pinboards, including recipes, home, style, motivation, and inspiration via image sharing. Founded by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp, and headquartered in San Francisco, it emerged from an earlier app called Tote and grew rapidly to become a major platform for visual discovery and e-commerce.
- founded
- December 2009 (development began); March 2010 (closed beta launch)
- founders
- Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, Evan Sharp
- headquarters
- San Francisco
- field
- Social media, visual search, e-commerce
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Digital pinboards, visual search engine, shopping catalogs
Lore & Background
Pinterest originated from Tote, a virtual catalog app created by Ben Silbermann and Paul Sciarra that struggled due to mobile payment difficulties. Tote users, however, collected and shared favorite items, inspiring Silbermann to pivot to Pinterest, which allowed users to create and share collections of various items. Development began in December 2009, and the prototype launched as a closed beta in March 2010, reaching 10,000 users nine months later. Silbermann personally contacted the first 5,000 users, offering his phone number and meeting some. The iPhone app launch in early March 2011 drove unexpected downloads, followed by an iPad app and a mobile website version. Silbermann and a few programmers operated from a small apartment until mid-2011.
Pinterest grew rapidly: by August 2011, Time magazine listed it among the "50 Best Websites of 2011." In December 2011, it became one of the top 10 largest social networks with 11 million weekly visits. By January 2012, comScore reported 11.7 million unique U.S. visitors. It won Best Social Media App and People's Voice Award at the 2012 Webby Awards. The company updated its terms of service in March 2012 to remove the right to sell user content, and in August 2012 removed the invitation requirement to join. Business accounts launched in October 2012. In April 2017, Pinterest removed its "liking" feature, converting existing likes into a board. Over time, the platform shifted emphasis toward visual search and e-commerce, including shopping catalogs.
Reader's Guide
Pinterest's significance lies in its transformation from a social network of digital pinboards into a visual search engine and e-commerce platform. It pioneered image-based discovery, allowing users to curate and share ideas across categories like fashion, home, and recipes. The company's growth was marked by rapid user adoption, early recognition from Time and TechCrunch, and a successful IPO in April 2019 at $19 per share, closing at $24.40. Its advertising revenue reached $1.7 billion in 2020, a 48% increase from 2019. Pinterest introduced features like Promoted Pins (2013), visual search tools such as Pinterest Lens (2017), and video products like Pinterest Premiere (2021). The platform also navigated data privacy concerns through partnerships like the 2023 collaboration with LiveRamp for data 'clean rooms.' Despite competition for ad dollars, Pinterest expanded into live streaming with Pinterest TV Studio (2022) and launched the collage app Shuffles (2022). Its legacy includes influencing how users discover and shop online, though it faced workforce reductions in 2026 amid advertising struggles.
Did You Know?
- Pinterest emerged from an earlier app called Tote, which struggled due to difficulties with mobile payments.
- Ben Silbermann wrote to the first 5,000 Pinterest users, offering his phone number and meeting with some of them.
- In January 2012, comScore reported Pinterest had 11.7 million unique U.S. visitors, though it did not set the record for fastest site to break 10 million unique visitors.
- Pinterest launched 'Pinterest TV' as a feature within the main app in November 2021, enabling live-streaming on the platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created Pinterest?
Pinterest was built by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp, who began developing the service in late 2009. It evolved out of an earlier app called Tote before launching as its own standalone platform.
What is Pinterest actually used for?
Pinterest works as a visual discovery engine where people save images, links, and ideas onto themed digital boards. Popular board topics include recipes, home decor, fashion, and motivational content.
When did Pinterest officially launch?
The closed beta opened to the public in March 2010, following development that started in December 2009. It then expanded to a wider audience and quickly grew into a major visual platform.
Where is Pinterest headquartered?
The company is based in San Francisco, California, and operates as an American social media, visual search, and e-commerce service.
How does Pinterest differ from other social media sites?
Instead of a chronological feed of updates from friends, Pinterest organizes content into user-curated visual boards grouped by interest. It also functions as a visual search engine and shopping catalog, blending inspiration with e-commerce.
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