I’d be willing to bet a large sum of money that in the last 24 hours, you, dear reader, have been on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, or Threads.
In that case, you’re in luck! In Ep. 125 of Earned, Conor sits down with Jackie Pimentel, Senior Director of Creators and Threads at trillion-dollar social media conglomerate Meta.
To start the show, we dive into the origin story of Facebook, and learn how our previously fragmented world has become increasingly more connected. Jackie shares why Meta keeps users at the center of everything they do, and how that contributes to a constantly evolving platform. We then pivot to Reels, and Jackie reveals that they’ve grown to over two billion views per day. We dive into Meta’s newest platform—Threads—and hear how the team incorporated “FOMO” into the launch strategy. Jackie reveals the secrets to a successful product launch, and we discuss the diverse and vibrant communities that have grown within each of Meta’s platforms. We then explore Jackie’s own publishing journey, and hear how she found her authentic voice, before she praises creators for everything they do. To close the show, Jackie shares how she strives to live a balanced life as a leader and a mother.
We’ve included a couple of highlights from the episode below, but be sure to check out the full video above, or tune into the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen!
The following interview has been lightly edited for concision.
“I'm the first to admit that I am human and we are human”: Jackie Pimentel’s Learnings from Meta Launches
Conor Begley: One of the things that's most interesting about your career is that you've been responsible for a lot of launches. A lot of ambitious launches actually, which at larger companies, generally have a harder time. You've got generative AI that Meta has been pushing on really hard lately, you've had Threads. Meta has had a tremendous amount of momentum. Do you think you've had success outside of the Threads launch in terms of rolling out these new, ambitious projects quickly and effectively?
Jackie Pimentel: I will say that it wasn't always the case. I remember a very splashy launch I did back in 2011 or 2012. It was this premium ad product and you couldn't actually buy it. We had this huge announcement and people wanted to buy it, and then we had to file an unbreak [of the launch]. We were like, “Wait, we forgot to build an interface.” I'm the first to admit that I am human and we are human. There have been a lot of launches that have not gone well.
I really am so proud of the go-to-market and the launches we've done in the last year. It's been a hard year for a lot of tech companies. A high level of focus forces you to prioritize what's important and what's not important, and also take some more risks. There were fewer people in the rooms, fewer decision makers, and we were able to move things along much quicker. Building with our community and working with them even before the launch made those launches go better.
“Building trust is an everyday thing”: Meta’s Jackie Pimentel on Building a Platform Businesses Trust
Conor Begley: One of the big goals was to allow Facebook advertising to be accessible to all businesses around the world. How did you guys go about building trust and really expanding into that kind of small business set of customers at that time?
Jackie Pimentel: Building trust is an everyday thing. I would say building respect was the first goal of making Facebook, making Meta, not just an add-on budget or thought.
Working a lot on SMB, we saw an opportunity to create a platform that was not just focused on advertisers, but focused first and foremost on businesses. I think there are about 130 million small businesses on Meta. A subset of those actually advertise. The important thing is that we have a free platform.
We have a platform that those businesses can build on. That is a big part of building that respect and trust, and that's focusing on the long-term value.
Keep up with new episodes of Earned by following the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts, or by subscribing to our YouTube channel. To catch up on our previous episodes, featuring leaders from brands like Revolve, K18, Instagram, and Roblox, visit our Earned Podcast page.