Weeks ago Kunal Shah slammed Indians for wasting time on reels, now he has joined Meta that runs Instagram
Just weeks after cautioning Indians about wasting time on short videos and unproductive digital habits, Kunal Shah joined Meta. The CRED founder is now leading WhatsApp globally as the messaging platform enters its next phase of growth.
Kunal Shah's move to Meta has sparked an interesting discussion online. The founder of CRED, who recently spoke about how Indians waste too much time consuming short-form content, is now leading WhatsApp globally under Meta, the same company that owns Instagram and its hugely popular Reels feature. The contrast has not gone unnoticed because Shah's comments came only weeks before Meta announced his appointment as the next head of WhatsApp.
Speaking during a conversation on the Groww podcast, Shah argued that technology can either make people smarter or distract them from more meaningful work, depending on how it is used. While discussing artificial intelligence and productivity, he expressed concern about how much time people spend on activities that do not add much value.
According to Shah, India currently consumes an enormous amount of mobile data every month, much of which goes towards short videos and entertainment content. He said that while technology gives people access to knowledge and powerful AI tools, many users are still spending large amounts of time on activities that do not improve their skills or productivity.
"The most valuable wealth you have is time and what you do with time becomes even more important than it was before. What I worry about is that India is now at 35GB per capita per GB, sorry, 35GB usage per capita per month right now in India. Right. That's much more than any other country in the world. Right. And 35GB usage requires a lot of time to be wasted. Correct. Right...Short videos and time pass and all of that stuff," Shah said during the discussion.
He also warned that smartphones have become tools that can push people in completely opposite directions. In his view, the same device can help someone learn new skills, build products and improve their income, but it can also encourage endless scrolling and distraction.
Shah's point was not specifically aimed at Instagram, but at what he described as the growing culture of wasting time online. He argued that the gap between people who use technology productively and those who do not could become much wider in the AI era.
Interestingly, Meta announced soon after that Shah would become WhatsApp's next leader, taking over from Will Cathcart. The appointment places one of India's most recognised startup founders at the centre of Meta's ecosystem, which includes WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook.
CRED founder now leading WhatsApp's next chapter globally
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg praised Shah's entrepreneurial track record while announcing the appointment. The company said Shah's experience building products and understanding user behaviour made him a strong fit for WhatsApp's next phase of growth. Although he pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Mumbai's Wilson College and didn't have an appropriate degree for the tech industry. He later enrolled in an MBA program at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), but chose to leave the course after completing around a year.
WhatsApp today serves more than three billion users globally and has increasingly expanded beyond messaging into areas such as business communication, payments and AI-powered services. Meta believes Shah can help drive the platform's next stage of development.
The move is a major career transition after nearly a decade at CRED, which he built with $1 million of his own capital. The fintech company, which started as a platform rewarding users for paying credit card bills on time, has since expanded into lending, payments, insurance, commerce and wealth management.
As part of the transition, Shah will step away from his operating responsibilities at CRED, though he will continue as a shareholder. The company recently reported its first profitable quarter and has grown into one of India's best-known consumer technology startups.
Kunal Shah's move to Meta has sparked an interesting discussion online. The founder of CRED, who recently spoke about how Indians waste too much time consuming short-form content, is now leading WhatsApp globally under Meta, the same company that owns Instagram and its hugely popular Reels feature. The contrast has not gone unnoticed because Shah's comments came only weeks before Meta announced his appointment as the next head of WhatsApp.
Speaking during a conversation on the Groww podcast, Shah argued that technology can either make people smarter or distract them from more meaningful work, depending on how it is used. While discussing artificial intelligence and productivity, he expressed concern about how much time people spend on activities that do not add much value.
According to Shah, India currently consumes an enormous amount of mobile data every month, much of which goes towards short videos and entertainment content. He said that while technology gives people access to knowledge and powerful AI tools, many users are still spending large amounts of time on activities that do not improve their skills or productivity.
"The most valuable wealth you have is time and what you do with time becomes even more important than it was before. What I worry about is that India is now at 35GB per capita per GB, sorry, 35GB usage per capita per month right now in India. Right. That's much more than any other country in the world. Right. And 35GB usage requires a lot of time to be wasted. Correct. Right...Short videos and time pass and all of that stuff," Shah said during the discussion.
He also warned that smartphones have become tools that can push people in completely opposite directions. In his view, the same device can help someone learn new skills, build products and improve their income, but it can also encourage endless scrolling and distraction.
Shah's point was not specifically aimed at Instagram, but at what he described as the growing culture of wasting time online. He argued that the gap between people who use technology productively and those who do not could become much wider in the AI era.
Interestingly, Meta announced soon after that Shah would become WhatsApp's next leader, taking over from Will Cathcart. The appointment places one of India's most recognised startup founders at the centre of Meta's ecosystem, which includes WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook.
CRED founder now leading WhatsApp's next chapter globally
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg praised Shah's entrepreneurial track record while announcing the appointment. The company said Shah's experience building products and understanding user behaviour made him a strong fit for WhatsApp's next phase of growth. Although he pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Mumbai's Wilson College and didn't have an appropriate degree for the tech industry. He later enrolled in an MBA program at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), but chose to leave the course after completing around a year.
WhatsApp today serves more than three billion users globally and has increasingly expanded beyond messaging into areas such as business communication, payments and AI-powered services. Meta believes Shah can help drive the platform's next stage of development.
The move is a major career transition after nearly a decade at CRED, which he built with $1 million of his own capital. The fintech company, which started as a platform rewarding users for paying credit card bills on time, has since expanded into lending, payments, insurance, commerce and wealth management.
As part of the transition, Shah will step away from his operating responsibilities at CRED, though he will continue as a shareholder. The company recently reported its first profitable quarter and has grown into one of India's best-known consumer technology startups.
