Why We Joined Instagram, then Left – A lesson in Throughlines
- Barry Carney
- Feb 9
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 18
Establishing a new business, much like any venture, is a lot about prioritisation: assessing the options, weighing up the effort in against potential value out, picking your throughline and committing.
Then comes the need to stay flexible, reassess and adapt on the go, especially when plans play out in unexpected ways.
The Instagram plan
Peakpact was founded in August 2025. As a young business, additional ways to spread the word are useful. We want to connect with more adventurous businesses looking to make positive things happen.
Instagram, we thought. Sure.
Although something didn't quite sit right - something in the wings, away from the spotlight. Instagram, we thought... Meta? All things considered - ethics, values [mis]alignment, negative impacts - we're not sure.
Of course, each context is unique and many individuals and businesses will benefit in good ways from Meta’s platforms. Sometimes things stack up that way and it makes sense. For Peakpact, our role is to help clients engage with what matters and succeed through values-first action. We need to be our own best case-study.
🚩Red flag number one was raised: a tacit feeling of incongruence.
But what about the reach and engagement with a new audience? – the opportunities for connection and collaboration on important projects?
What we did (Scene 1)
Nothing.
We dedicated one week to doing nothing.
What we did (Scene 2)
Doing 'nothing' allowed us to process – to make sure our reactions were authentic and rational. A week allowed us to run through relevant questions: what are our intentions? What is the breadth and depth of our goals (e.g. are we seeking n followers with a target % converting to clients, or building community, or something beyond that?) What’s the time, energy, and resource investment, and for what payback?
We concluded that:
a) We dislike a lot of things about Meta and don’t want to support them.
b) Doing nothing didn’t feel consistent with our values either.
c) But we still wanted visibility with Instagram’s users.
As with many business decisions, there isn’t Perfect. Bits of this get traded-off against aspects of that, with the condition that this that and the other have to happen. And that’s real.
Plot twist
For Peakpact, a resolution that balanced a), b) and c) was shaping up like this:
Create a simple holding account
Post an eye-catching billboard directing people to peakpact.co.uk
Include a clear "Not active here | #valuesfirst" message
Maintain a dormant presence; apply maximum privacy settings.
The unscripted bit
4 hours later (some nice designs created for the posts, decent copy written) things are ready to go once we've made the adjustments to our account and privacy settings. But the inaccessibility of the settings to disable or opt out of certain functionality was [for want of a better word] impressive! Central Privacy hubs anywhere other than central, buried links, no clear nor decipherable trail, ambiguous Ts&Cs, inconsistent naming conventions, automated setting resets, opt-outs with expiration dates...
When one of the biggest providers of user-engagement platforms has opt-out settings (many a legal requirement) buried 7-clicks deep, that’s not innocent oversight or a bad UX team. It’s negative intent by design: it’s engineered failure.
That’s not the Peakpact way.
Alternative endings
So, we started with a simple plan.
It became muddied and complicated because we brought values into the equation; it then became crystal clear and simple …because we brought values into the equation.
What we did (Final scene)
~Click~
Account Deactivated.
Meta isn’t the only company trying to convince businesses that you can pay for success if you surrender your data and IP. Our challenge to our clients and partners is to get creative. To rethink what marketing budgets and ad spend should go on. To pause and reassess:
• What’s the goal? • What are your values? • Where do these meet?
And here we are, with no Peakpact Instagram. Instead, we’ve probed our boundaries, fortified our values, gained a little story, and have some new reflections to share.
Saying “no” to something confidently can be a declaration of “yes” to exciting, alternative beginnings. In this case, the opportunity for getting creative and proving that the norm isn’t the only, or indeed best path. At Peakpact, we go on the adventures that set the scene for lasting, authentic relationships.
The moral of the story?
Aligning business actions with values often introduces extra challenges. Digging into each of them will be worthwhile.
Want to explore challenges, and the alternative throughlines that work for you? What you’ll need:
Dedication to better. Every step of the way.
Honesty. This is the gateway to maturity (of skills, ideas, projects, individuals, businesses…)
Openness and curiosity. They go hand-in-hand with honesty.
Creativity. Everyone is creative. It can fix anything.
For business leaders, marketing teams, and any function wrestling with conflicting goals, details, or values, Peakpact's Creative Waymaking service helps act out new stories without compromising values.
And we can assure you that there are no lock ins, opt outs 7-clicks deep, hidden Ts&Cs or hardwired dependencies!
