Why I'm Rooting for the Kid

I’m rooting for the kid.

It’s not an easy decision—it never makes sense to be on the other side of Google (GOOG), and I am all for open standards. But on this one, I can’t help myself, I am rooting for the kid.

Imagine starting a business that, within 18 months, goes from nothing to 50 million members. You do everything right. You take a bit of seed capital and you make all the correct decisions, you play a scratch game, you innovate, you make a big bet, and bam! You create a product that’s so compelling, you make a market where none existed.

And now imagine that a far bigger company—no, the fifth biggest company in the U.S.!—comes along and simply copies your idea. It bigfoots you and says, you know that beautiful thing you figured out? Well we’re going to do it, too. And good luck competing with us because we’re going to take your great idea, and give it away for free to our market, which happens to be twice as large as yours before we even get started here.

In so doing, it (seemingly) neutralizes you, robs you of all the value you created.

How can you NOT root for the kid on this one?

A lot of this reminds me of the Browser Wars, when Microsoft took a similar tactic with Netscape. (“You know that cool browser you created? You know how your business model hinges on selling it to people? and want to sell? Well we’re copying it and giving it away for free.”) Of course, Microsoft also made the mistake of tying it to its operating system, which cost it billions. No one can scream “monopoly!” here.

So I’m rooting for the kid. I don’t care that, in this case, ironically, he has Microsoft (MSFT) in his corner. He is still the underdog.

I hope Dave Winer is right and that tech companies who promulgate standards to undermine other tech companies usually fail. I don’t believe him in this case. The “standard” that Google is foisting on its partners is open. It’s HTML and Javascript. Facebook has the proprietary code here.

But still I am rooting for the kid. He has momentum on his side—50 million people, and so far, Google’s ploy isn’t a good reason for any of them to leave. And that means the developers will stay. I am hoping that come next Tuesday, when he lets Madison Avenue see what Facebook can do with social ads, he’ll change the game yet again. God this is fun. That’s why I’m rooting for the kid.

Comments

[Barry Welford]

I'm with you on this one. Also Google has been upsetting some of its staunchest supporters recently, so there may be a backlash against that.

[Alan]

Why do you use a monospace font for all your content? Any specific reason?

[John Shaw]

You know google with it's cache of billions of dollars will defeat face book no matter what, have you ever seen google loose?

[URNIdiot]

Umm, one word. orkut.

[live television]

Quite true, it's a pretty bad move on Google's part to so readily steal an idea and try to undermine a competitor through such an obvious and demeaning manner. I guess some companies just aren't willing to play fairly or at least civilly.

[constructicle boy]

the kid well,it could really give a scare to big daddy google.but google is well,too strong for the kid because of the vast network of programs that is under google.

[overpriced designer man bag]

I guess any sort of competition is good for the rest of us in the long run.

However the targeting of the ads is still inaccurate. (see below)

http://www.carryingcontraption.com/2007/11/facebooks-new-ad-strategy.html

[joe]

they aren't really stealing his 'idea' because he really didn't 'invent' anything. but i understand where you're coming from and I too am rooting for the kid ;)

[double o]

social networks have been around prior to facebook
what about the guys that zuckerberg copied?
also, there are even littler guys than zuckerberg who are hoping that google's strategy will give them a shot
also google's strategy should benefit the end users with loads of more content in much more open space
i've been telling my peers for months that facebook is virtually like AOL 2.0

[mike]

Join this FB group: Facebook has jumped the shark

[Anonymous]

It's called the free market.

[aryan]

Nice and Intresting website but i never visit your website before it seems that you never posted your stories on www.laadi.com i am an asian and we use laadi.com to search for latest news and story anyway i will recommend your website to my friend nice work keep it up !!!

[Boo hoo]

Poor Zuckerberg, he stole his idea from his business partners in college, and now google is stealing his idea too. Karma is a b!tch.

[Horks]

According to wikipedia, Facebook started Feb 4, 2004 (it's been around a lot longer than 18 months. It was a college community before they allowed public access.)

Also, according to wikipedia, Orkut (Google's own facebook/myspace type community site) was launched in Jan, 2004. So, it'd seem to me that Google was doing it before facebook. Both products have evolved, neither product has any right to claim IP on community building.

Another note, myspace launched in August 2003, and grew much faster than both Orkut and Facebook. So if anyone is to claim IP to the idea, it'd be everyones first friend Tom.

[Horks]

According to wikipedia, Facebook started Feb 4, 2004 (it's been around a lot longer than 18 months. It was a college community before they allowed public access.)

Also, according to wikipedia, Orkut (Google's own facebook/myspace type community site) was launched in Jan, 2004. So, it'd seem to me that Google was doing it before facebook. Both products have evolved, neither product has any right to claim IP on community building.

Another note, myspace launched in August 2003, and grew much faster than both Orkut and Facebook. So if anyone is to claim IP to the idea, it'd be everyones first friend Tom.

[Matthew Waters]

It's just a shame that Facebook has sold out. I really enjoyed using it until recently - the odd advert in my feed didn't bother me, but this viral stuff is too much.

[will]

No, it's not myspace, and it's not tom.

Is everybody seriously that new to the internet that they don't know about friendster?

[wtfdude]

Zuckerberg is making a big mistake with its 'social ads'. Apparently the moron thinks invading our privacy is a great way to advertise, and I doubt that such invasion will be taken lightly. The Holy Grail of social network advertising is just that - something that will never be found unless some divine jackass says he's found it.

[Matt]

Google isn't stealing any ideas. Ever heard of Google Gadgets? I don't know the exact date which Google implemented gadgets on iGoogle, but I'm pretty sure it was before Facebook had applications.

[Arnoldymous]

Hey you wanna root for the kid, why not root for the guys who filed a suit against Zuckerberg who're not even given a 2nd notice in the courts because Zuckerberg happens to be the golden boy who did wonders to connect people together on the net.