Instagram is one of the most simplistic and enjoyable social networks on the iPhone. Why? For starters it’s a free app that is incredibly easy to use. Not only that, it’s a tonne of fun, and it’s becoming a massive photo-sharing juggernaut.

The New York Times has an article featuring Instagram, and here are some neat facts:

• 8 months of service–almost 5 million members
• Adding about 1 million members a month
• 4 employees

This is why Instagram is so successful–in the words of its founder, Kevin Systrom:

“We set out to solve the main problem with taking pictures on a mobile phone,” he said, which is that they are often blurry or poorly composed. “We fixed that.”

The service has benefited from being easier to use than some of its rivals, said Brian Blau, a research director at Gartner. “You take a photo, add a filter, post it online,” he said. “It’s the equivalent of firing off a tweet; it doesn’t require much thought or effort.”

It’s an interesting read, especially if you’re an Instagram fan.

[via New York Times]