Facebook Faceoff Part 1

Yesterday was a flurry of activity in the Convention Center. The buzz of the day was definitely the Mark Zuckerberg Keynote address. Mark sat down with Business Week reporter Sarah Lacy to talk about Facebook's growth strategy, intent to sell, mission, and international operations, and BOY, did we all get more than we bargained for.* I'd rather talk about what Zuckerberg actually said than the fracas that ensued, but you should check out CNET's coverage for the full story if you are interested.

I know a lot of you already are on Facebook and know what it's about, but it was interesting to get the lowdown on Facebook's mission from its 23-year old CEO. Zuckerberg emphasized that Facebook is a tool that enables effective communication between people, be they friends or strangers. The Internet is essentially a platform on which these connections can be made, and Facebook is part of what Zuckerberg calls the "massive trend" of people seeking connections with each other online--in loftier terms, he calls this a "universal, human need."


Mark and Sarah share an awkward moment in front of 6,000 people.

After a few (in my opinion) oversimplifications of how FB is "changing the world," the conversation turned to FB's business strategy. Questions were asked (and expertly deflected) on the possibility of an IPO; on FB becoming an iTunes competitor; on the Microsoft advertising deal; and on his company's $15 billion valuation. Most interesting was when he touched on the notion of FB being a collection social services--both to incorporate into FB from the Web as well as to distribute back out into the Web.

Man this post is getting long and I have to run. I'll continue in a few hours!

*Essentially, the reporter, while coaxing some genuinely interesting information out of Zuckerberg (a notoriously hard interview subject--though it's clear he's gone through many Media Training sessions at this point), drove the crowd first to distraction and then anger with her less-than-professional and almost comically immature interview style. Think: hair twirling, guffaws, repeated references to his young age and big net worth, and lotsa references to her own book/personal relationship with him. Ew.