“For a guy running such a beautiful website, Ben Silbermann looks like hell.”

When he moves, it is with the economy of a marathon runner trying to conserve every last bit of energy on the eve of a big race.

Sharp coded much of the site sitting in a Whole Foods on the Upper West Side of Manhattan while Silbermann, Sciarra, and a single engineer worked from a dingy apartment in Palo Alto.

“Practice moderation in your pinning,” the article advised, “but enjoy the crafty, creative spirit of Mormonism.”

One notable exception: Jane Wang, who has the largest follower count on the service—3.4 million—and happens to be Silbermann’s mother. “My mom does not get paid to pin things,” Silbermann says with a chuckle.

It’s sometimes hard to tell whether Silbermann is being sincere or coy when he says things like this, but one thing is for certain: He is not callow.

I try some of these theories out on Silbermann, who demurs, obfuscates, cracks wise, and generally prattles on about the need to focus on his product.