Pinterest's Silbermann: We are not a social network

Corrections & Clarifications: An earlier version misstated Pinterest's reported valuation.

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. — CEO Ben Silbermann says Pinterest is not a social network. The reason: when you're using the popular service to "pin" or save stuff, you're doing it for yourself, not others.

One thing Pinterest does seem to be is an IPO candidate, what with some 70 million users and a valuation reportedly around $11 billion.

Among the things Silbermann believes people will be saving are ads. "At the root of it there is a real line between the motivation of our users and the goal of a lot of advertisers," he says. "There is a still a lot of work to show the right ad to the right people at the right time."

The laser focus of the business, he says, is on how people are discovering, saving and acting on what they're saving. "My dream would be that Pinterest becomes this indispensable tool where people plan their future," he says.

How does Silbermann run the company? He spends a lot of time on products, the reason he says he started the company in the first place. He also spends time recruiting, "the job that never ends." A third area of responsibility is communication, including coaching the people who report to him.

Slibermann thinks media companies that produce content play an integral role in the Pinterest ecosystem. The company is also using "promoted" pins as part of his advertising. He wouldn't comment on whether Pinterest will adding a "buy button" or how it plans to tackle commerce generally.

When it comes to diversity, Silbermann says "there's a big gap to where we want to be." About 40% of employees are women, not as many as Silbermann would like in senior management. He says the company is examining its screening methods.

Email: ebaig@usatoday.com; Follow @edbaig on Twitter