At this point it’s common knowledge that Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger have decided to leave Instagram and its parent company, Facebook, almost seven years after being acquired by Facebook. 

Most of the conversation surrounding their departure has focused on rumors of tension between the co-founders and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg reportedly had become more involved on the Instagram side of the business to the chagrin of the Instagram founders. 

Whether or not tensions between Instagram’s co-founders and Zuckerberg were the reason behind the departure, let’s get one thing out of the way. They stayed with Facebook for a very long time after being acquired, and over the course of that time, they built Instagram into a digital powerhouse that, in many respects, rivals its parent company. So it’s not that surprising that with full bank accounts, a clear mission accomplished for Instagram and more than five years under their belts with the parent company that the two would decide to leave.

The question isn’t why did they leave. The question is what’s next for Instagram?