Executives of the Year: Matt Madrigal
—Monica Semergiu—Pinterest
Matt Madrigal, chief product and technology officer at Pinterest, believes most apps are designed to be addictive. Instead, he focuses on "additive AI" – software that offers practical ideas, products, or plans for users' real lives. His goal is "time well spent," not simply increasing time spent on the platform. This philosophy is grounded in Pinterest's proprietary Taste Graph, a decade of user data that informs the company's AI systems.
For instance, searching for a fire pit might also suggest chairs and party ideas. Madrigal explains that if a conventional search engine implemented this, it would be considered broken, but for Pinterest, it makes logical sense by bringing ideas and inspiration together. The strategy appears successful: Pinterest boasts 640 million monthly active users and has grown for 12 quarters in a row.
Madrigal, who joined the company in 2024, emphasizes that prioritizing safety and youth mental health does not impede progress. He credits the company's strong evaluations and robust foundation for enabling rapid development while maintaining a high safety standard.
Written by urgent.news from Time's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
