Facebook: it'll be profitable when it's profitable.
Very true. People tend to forget the story of Amazon.com rather quickly.
...and Pets.com
Nobody used pets.com
pets.com actually sold things
not really, since nobody used it. I think FB sells ads btw.
DNF: It'll be done when it's done.
Facebook is definitely a winner. Although I do not use it much, it definitely serves a purpose. They have raised enough money to not worry for another 5 years ( I supposed), hence they have time to figure out the best business model.
I agree FB is a winner, but I wouldn't bet what MSFT did on it, and they wouldn't of either if it didn't lock them into prime buyer spot (and lock others out)
If I were Microsoft, I'd have bet that much if only because the act of my giving them that much money gave them a lot of credibility to people who weren't certain about how useful Facebook is. I think it's a gamble, but if you put money in, it encourages others to do the same.
To me a winner is someone with insane positive cashflow - not someone that has raised money not to worry for another 5 years.
The article is a dupe but The Onion's cover is hilarious :)