They were exhausted. Selling was the simplest way to solve the problem. Facebook had more than 3,000 employees—some of the smartest engineers in the world. Once Instagram joined them, if the FTC allowed, they’d be able to recruit from within. They would just have no relief in the meantime. Their investments in employees and infrastructure were on hold, pending the deal close, at a time sign-ups were accelerating. As usual, Krieger’s erratic sleep schedule was the surest sign of Instagram’s unending expansion.
