Lessons From The Social Network: Facebook’s Entrepreneurial Magic & Game Mechanics

I finally saw The Social Network (great movie) with my family and a lot of things hit home for me. While I’m not a “fan” of Facebook, I am a fan of the story and what we can learn from it on so many levels.

You see, I was once the anti-social introvert coding on my computer for hours at a time. I’m not a genius like Mark Zuckerberg but I could relate to his story. Thing is, I can also relate to Eduardo as I’ve been burned by partnering up with the wrong people too yet I still believe we can have friends in the business world and play fair.

Have you ever been burned by a bad business deal? Have you ever blindly signed on the dotted line?

Those questions are mostly rhetorical because let’s face it: no matter where you are in life, chances are you’ve blindly accepted EULA terms, signed a service agreement, or even agreed to NDA or non-compete contracts without really scrutinizing them.

Now, we can get into a deep conversation about intellectual property and the volatile nature of start-ups but what I found more interesting in the story of Facebook is the following:

• Timing
• Exclusivity
• Urgency
• Vision

I’d like to talk about those items first and maybe revisit the topics of partnership, venture capital, intellectual property, and protecting your creative or business assets.. That will be in the weeks to come and likely as part of many #NJAB podcast conversations I’m sure.

BTW, if you haven’t given our podcast a listen yet, come visit us over at http://marketinganswerman.com/podcast-2

Now let’s discuss what really stood out for me with the Facebook story and how it can relate to the rest of us.

Facebook Zucks – BeTheSignal.org

(BTW, I think Facebook is a bit over-rated and sucks in some aspects.. But it has been valuable for my clients and I support their efforts thereof.)