Watch a Barefoot Mark Zuckerberg Pitch ‘The Facebook’ in 2005 [video] | Hacker News Reader

Watch a Barefoot Mark Zuckerberg Pitch ‘The Facebook’ in 2005 [video]

wired.com

Based on Zuck's conversation, at that time in 2005 facebook was seeing itself as an online directory where you can learn a few basic things about someone and maybe message the person to get in touch. Looks like another story of a tech company whose initial idea was different/limited and then the company pivoted by introducing their two of the breakthrough features: news feed and photo-tagging that changed entire landscape of social networking.

Don't really agree that Facebook pivoted, unless you consider what Google is now as having pivoted away from search. They are still an online directory, but now for the entire world rather than just for college students.

What you arguably call their 2 main features: newsfeed and photo-tagging don't necessarily deviate from their goal of being an online directory.

i think they are more than just being an online directory IMO. Having an online directory means you'll have to go to someone's profile to view their personal details but with news-feed and photo-tagging, You started getting updates on "our" news-feed about our friends' life and activities and about people they are hanging out with at parties/places. Online directory is more of asynchronous communication whereas now facebook is providing more of a synchronous communication.

While Zuckerberg surely evolved into a powerful force, I had no idea he would appear so bland and unconvincing in the early days.

This gives hope to founders everywhere that doing great things isnt just some kind of innate ability.

I actually found his appearance in this video rather charismatic. There was clearly a divine light within this great luminary even at that humble point in his exceptional history.

Why was this downvoted?

Assholes.

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