Typing and read receipts make a lot of sense for messaging. You write a letter, you put it in an envelope, you send it to a friend, and you want to know when they get it. It's like FedEx - they let you know when the package gets dropped off.
If we take a step back and look at what Snapchat is, it all starts with the camera.
For Snapchat, the closer we can get to 'I want to talk to you' - that emotion of wanting to see you and then seeing you - the better and better our product and our view of the world will be.
I snap with my mom. It was a great way for me to see my dog when I was in college. We send selfies, too.
Traditional social media, in the view of our company, has become a bit repetitive. It doesn't feel very good to be marketed to by your friends. Snapchat is different because it says, look, friends aren't valuable to you just because they can get you into a cool party.
We never saw Google+ Circles or Facebook Lists as reflective of the way our friendships play out.
