Why Pinterest is the platform that refuses to die

Not that long ago, the whispers were everywhere: Pinterest was done for.

AI slop, dwindling interest, and a general vibe of irrelevance had everyone predicting end-of-days for the platform. Who was still mood-boarding their dream kitchen in 2024 when TikTok was eating culture for breakfast?

I pre-emptively mourned. First, Tumblr. Now this? What more will they take from this aesthetics-loving libra that yearns to reblog/ pin pretty little pictures all day long? I felt like an angel preparing to lose her wings.

And yet… Pinterest prevailed. Against all odds, the platform pulled a full 180.

Today, it’s quietly leading the way in predicting cultural trends with spooky accuracy, deepening its connection to its core audience, and proving that sometimes the platforms we write off as “dead” are just getting started.

So, how did Pinterest survive the platform apocalypse and come out stronger?

The challenge: a “dying” platform

For years, Pinterest had the reputation of being… nice but niche. Too soft, too static, too irrelevant in the age of hyper-viral video. By 2023, critics were convinced it was slipping into MySpace territory: irrelevant at best, ghost town at worst.

Add in the rise of AI-generated content (a.k.a. algorithmic sludge), and Pinterest looked even shakier. Who needs to spend time mood boarding when MidJourney can vomit up a vision board in 10 seconds flat? (Um, ME, but that’s beside the point, I guess.)

The strategy: leaning into difference

Here’s the thing: Pinterest never tried to out-TikTok TikTok or out-Instagram Instagram. Instead, it doubled down on what made it unique. While everyone else optimised for chaos, doomscrolling and brainrot, Pinterest optimised for calm, inspiration, and crucially: future planning.

It leaned harder into:

• Pinterest Predicts, its annual trend forecast, which now boasts an 80% accuracy rate (better than most futurists).

• Shoppable pins and commerce integrations, turning inspiration directly into transactions.

• A focus on women, parents, and planners, the demographics who actually make household purchase decisions, and were desperate for a corner of the internet not designed to fry their nervous systems.

The comeback: from mood boards to market signals

What once looked like a quaint digital scrapbook has become a freaking cultural crystal ball. Pinterest is no longer just the place where you pin aspirational outfits; it’s where future trends are actually born. From “eclectic grandpa” style to “deinfluencing,” Pinterest has been first to spot and label movements that later blow up everywhere else.

And unlike other platforms, the inspiration-to-purchase pipeline is direct. People don’t pin idly; they pin when they’re planning weddings, renovating houses, booking trips, or updating wardrobes. In other words, users arrive already primed to spend.

The broader takeaway here isn’t just about Pinterest. It’s about what happens when you stop chasing hype and start owning your lane.

Pinterest weathered years of being called irrelevant by resisting the temptation to copy everyone else. It played the long game, leaned into its core strengths, and is now enjoying a renaissance as both a cultural forecaster and a commerce engine.

In a social landscape where most platforms are either dying, melting down, or scrambling to reinvent themselves, Pinterest proves that sometimes the smartest move is the quietest one: know what you are, know who you serve, and don’t flinch when the internet calls you uncool.

Because let’s be honest: "uncool" has always aged better than hype, anyway (take it from someone who knows).

-Sophie Randell, Writer