Really? This seems to imply that every startup should be about social. People thought that Google would never succeed because search was cornered by Yahoo and AltaVista. I would think that VC-funded startups that are aiming for huge successes should take the opposite advice: look for holes in industries that aren't widely considered to be the "hottest thing" and create a market. Don't try to cash in on a gold rush in which there are thousands of players doing the same thing.
"Don’t start a soft drink company competing against Coca-Cola."
I'm pretty sure we have a Coca-Cola in the social space. It's called Facebook.