# Executives of the Year: Matt Madrigal > Source: > Published: 2026-09-22 13:01:05+00:00 Matt Madrigal, chief product and technology officer at [Pinterest](https://time.com/collections/time100-companies-2024/6978812/pinterest-2/), says most apps are built to be addictive.  His focus is on what he calls [additive AI](https://www.fastcompany.com/91395779/pinterest-bets-on-additive-ai-as-it-reimagines-personalization)—software that provides ideas, products, or plans that are useful in real life. “Our goal for our users is time well spent, not total time spent,” he says. The approach is built around Pinterest’s proprietary [Taste Graph](https://business.pinterest.com/blog/how-gen-z-is-taking-back-their-taste-from-ai/), a decade of data about what people like that provides the foundation for its AI systems. (Search for a fire pit, and you may also see chairs and party ideas.) “If a traditional search engine did this, you would think it was broken,” he says. “But for Pinterest, it’s very logical, because it’s bringing ideas and inspiration together.” It seems to be working: Pinterest has [640 million](https://business.pinterest.com/en-gb/audience/) monthly active users and has grown for 12 straight quarters.  That growth proves that making safety a key priority doesn’t mean slowing down, says Madrigal, who joined the company in 2024. “I think we've invested in the right [evaluations], the right foundation that allows us to move very quickly while keeping, frankly, a high bar when it comes to safety and youth mental health.” “How many meetings do you have each day?” TIME Executives of the Year on their daily responsibilities.