Background and Challenges
• Mark Zuckerberg developed a messaging program in Atari BASIC at the age of 12 for his father, Edward Zuckerberg, to use in his dental practice and for his family to communicate at home.
• In addition to working with a private computer tutor hired by his parents, Mark took graduate computer courses at nearby Mercy College.
• While attending Phillips Exeter Academy, he created a music player that adapted to a music listener’s individual tastes that he called Synapse with a friend Adam D’Angelo.
• Microsoft and AOL expressed interest in acquiring Synapse and his programming skills. However, Mark wasn’t interested
and finished his high school education.
• By his sophomore year at Harvard University, he developed a reputation as the
go-to software developer.
• Although he wasn’t expelled from Harvard University, Harvard’s disciplinary board
charged him with breaching security, violating copyrights and violating individual
privacy after distributing the Facemash program he created.
• Harvard seniors recruited Mark to help them develop a dating website
HarvardConnections.com. Although initially Mark demonstrated interest in the project,
he put off the project to develop his own coding project that later became known
as Facebook. The features of Facebook include Facebook images, a Facebook sign
in and a Facebook account.
• In 2006, the creators of Harvard Connection claimed that Mark stole their idea
and breached their agreement resulting in a lawsuit. Although an initial settlement
of $65 million was agreed upon, the legal dispute continued into 2011.
Accomplishments
• By the end of 2004, Facebook had one million users establishing a Facebook account.
• Facebook is different from other social media programs because there are Facebook images. An individual Facebook account includes a Facebook sign in username and password.
• Forbes magazine ranked Mark Zuckerberg at number 35 with an estimated net worth of $6.9 billion.
• Mark inspired one of every seven people in the world to use his product and changed
how the world communicates.
• Mark Zuckerberg has donated millions to many philanthropic causes.
• In May 2012, Facebook’s initial public offering was $16 billion, making it the largest Internet IPO in history.
Lessons Learned from Mark Zuckerberg’s Success:
1. Hard work and persistence pays off. Everyone should work hard and be persistent in developing given skills into successful projects and dreams that will come true.
2. Think long-term and have the confidence to dream big. Holding onto a long-term vision is critical to achieving long-term success. Mark Zuckenberg thinks in terms of dreams that are only possible with the resources not previously thought of by others.
3. It is important to be surrounded by an outstanding team. Successful entrepreneurs build strong teams by hiring intelligent people to accomplish company goals and objectives.
4. Choose an appealing career path. The best way to choose a career is to follow passions and interests to stay motivated and challenged to work harder at a challenging and enjoyable occupation.
5. An effective leader knows how to challenge others to work toward organizational goals. The most important role a leader can possess is to believe in one common goal and to work hard for a unified purpose. It is important to maintain composure during tough times because subordinates will turn to organizational leaders during trying times.
6. Follow dreams in spite of what others think. Others may not always understand the thought processes and ideas of an innovator. It is best to follow a personal perspective when developing new ideas and products.
7. Practice the concept ready, fire and aim. False starts are learning experiences that will eventually lead to success when it comes to the development of a new product or an idea.
Website References
http://www.biography.com/people/mark-zuckerberg-507402
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-facebook-was-founded-2010-3?op=1
http://elitedaily.com/life/10-lessons-we-can-learn-from-mark-zuckerberg/
http://www.thextraordinary.org/mark-zuckerberg
"Mark Zuckerberg – Free Extraordinary Profiles." Insert Name of Site in Italics. N.p., n.d.
Web. 21 June 2013 http://www.thextraordinary.org/mark-zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg – Free Extraordinary Profiles. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thextraordinary.org/mark-zuckerberg
Chicago: Mark Zuckerberg – Free Extraordinary Profiles, http://www.thextraordinary.org/mark-zuckerberg (accessed June 21, 2013).
Principles of Execution Key Concepts:
- Facebook Sign In
- Facebook Account
- Facebook Images
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