David Lieb tells this story in a short clip published by Y Combinator in December 2024, titled “What David Lieb and his team built eventually became the foundation for Google Photos.” This post summarizes what he says in that clip. In his words, the team had all the expectations on them: Bump had 150 million users and was still, he says, the most popular app in the world. But they knew the secret, which was that it was going to fail. Their second attempt, Flock, also didn’t work, and they were running out of money.
Key Takeaways #
- Bump was a hit, and the team expected it to fail anyway.
- Flock didn’t work, and money was running out.
- Paul Graham pushed them to think bigger.
- They decided to build a better photos app, with four or five months of runway left.
The Pressure of Success #
Lieb calls this one of the most challenging periods of his life. The team had 150 million users of Bump and expected that to end. Their second app, Flock, hadn’t taken off either. With money running low, he says he just wanted to keep the airplane from crashing.
A Meeting with Paul Graham #
The team went to Paul Graham of Y Combinator, explained where things stood and showed him Flock, a photo-sharing app nobody was using. Lieb says Graham made them think bigger. His suggestion: replace the entire photos app on the phone, and people will probably use your sharing product. At the time, Lieb says, he thought that was preposterous, and that it would be impossible.
Rethinking the Photos App #
As they thought about it, they realized the photos app on the iPhone wasn’t that good, and that if they were designing it they would make it way better. So they decided to build that product, with four or five months of runway left.
What Came Next #
The clip ends there. By its title, what the team built eventually became the foundation for Google Photos. The clip does not describe the product’s features or how it was built, so this post does not either.
Conclusion #
The lesson Lieb’s account supports is narrow: a team with a hit app and a failed follow-up took advice to aim at a bigger problem, and judged that the existing photos app could be done better. If you want the full telling, watch the clip.
