The Facebook Effect
by David Kirkpatrick · first published 2010
33% recommend68% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Well-written, insider-sourced history of Facebook built on interviews with many principals; a more accurate alternative to the fictionalized movie, and it shows how uncertain the early days were, plus Myspace's fall.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
In little more than half a decade, Facebook has gone from a dorm-room novelty to a company with 500 million users. It is one of the fastest growing companies in history, an essential part of the social life not only of teenagers but hundreds of millions of adults worldwide. As Facebook spreads around the globe, it creates surprising effectseven becoming instrumental in political protests from Colombia to Iran. Veteran technology reporter David Kirkpatrick had the full cooperation of Facebook's key executives in researching this fascinating history of the company and its impact on our lives. Ki
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…research into the actual events of the Saverin/Facebook story. Ben Mezrich's book, and Aaron Sorkin's writing are particularly fictionalized when it comes to this aspect of the story. May I suggest "The Facebook Effect" by David Kirkpatrick for a slightly more legitimate history of the company.
on “Ask HN: Does anyone do business with the VC that stitched up the Facebook guy?” ↗Some books I've read this summer, which I can recommend: - The Facebook Effect -- well-written insider's account of the history of Facebook and its ambitions. http://www.amazon.com/Facebook-Effect-Inside-Company-Connect... - The Quantum Enigma -- an accessible digest of quantum…
on “Ask HN: Summer Reading Recommendations?” ↗…facts-loose movie based on the tabloid hit piece as history. It's a great movie, but it intentionally washes the story out in ways make the characters look absolutely horrible. I highly recommend The Facebook Effect by David Kirkpatrick. It's a great read and a far more accurate book on the history of Facebook and who Mark Zuckerberg really is. https://www.amazon.com/Facebook-Effect-Inside-Company-Connec...
on “Telling Photos from the Mark Zuckerberg Presidential Campaign Trail” ↗…slow. Hearing the experiences and successes of other startups/founders always gets me excited to get to work. Once You're Lucky, Twice You're Good - Sarah Lacy Founders at Work - Jessica Livingston The Facebook Effect - David Kirkpatrick
on “Ask HN: I want to start a web company what books should I read?” ↗…synthesizes details, and puts imagined thoughts into his characters’ heads." If you want a less sensational book, but one where the author interviewed many of the principals I'd suggest Kirkpatrick's The Facebook Effect
on “Ask HN: So, what did you think of the Social Network?” ↗If not wrong, it's really simplistic (probably for the sake of this news piece). I just finished listening to the Facebook Effect by David Kirkpatrick. It is a really good account of Facebook's history. It shows just how uncertain things were in the beginning. There were loads of little decisions along the way which made Facebook…
on “Wayne Ting, nearly a billionaire. Or how Facebook won” ↗…books I most highly recommend that I read recently include, in no particular order: - Once You're Lucky, Twice You're Good, by Sarah Lacey. - Founders at Work, by YC's own Jessica Livingston - The Facebook Effect, by David Kirkpatrick I'll list some others as I think of them, but those are my three most favorite recent reads.
on “What books should entrepreneurs read?” ↗_The Ecclesiastes_ by Solomon, from The Bible _Start From Scratch_ by Wes Moss _The Facebook Effect_ by David Kirkpatrick _The Millionaire Mind_by Thomas J. Stanley _Secrets of the Millionaire Mind_T. Harv Eker
on “Ask HN: What books have helped make who you are today?” ↗The Facebook Effect by David Kirkpatrick (The real story and not movie version of Facebook) very good
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite ebooks? Technical or Not” ↗The recommended reading from the final slide: - The Hard Thing About Hard Things - Zero to One (CS 138A) - The Facebook Effect - The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership - The Tao of Leadership - Nonviolent Communication
on “Lecture 1 – How to Start a Startup [video]” ↗…announcement. (This on top of their earlier investment and advertising deal.) Unfortunately for them, it's been less of a splash than they were hoping for. Weekend before last, I heard the author of "The Facebook Effect" (good book, BTW) say that Facebook had had three major announcements in the two weeks before that: Skype integration, the new groups machinery, and some third thing he couldn't remember. The third…
on “CNN Money: Microsoft is a Dying Consumer Brand” ↗The Facebook Effect It's real, it's true, it's my version of Cinderella story. I've read many motivational books, they're good, but Facebook Effect conveyed the idea of possibility to me, and I love it.
on “What is the book that has completely changed your way of thinking?” ↗…mass Myspace migration happened, but its downfall was much more than Facebook showing up. e.g., It had a ton of technical issues, and it got really ugly / unwieldy. If you're interested, the book "The Facebook Effect" does a good job describing the fall of Myspace.
on “Facebook may lose 80% of users by 2017, say Princeton researchers” ↗"You have one identity," he emphasized three times in a single interview with David Kirkpatrick in his book, "The Facebook Effect." "The days of you having a different image for your work friends or co-workers and for the other people you know are probably coming to an end pretty quickly." He adds: "Having two identities for yourself…
on “Facebook is worried about users sharing less – but it only has itself to blame” ↗“You have one identity,” he emphasized three times in a single interview with David Kirkpatrick in his book, “The Facebook Effect.” “The days of you having a different image for your work friends or co-workers and for the other people you know are probably coming to an end pretty quickly.” He adds: “Having two identities for yourself…
on “Native Americans Say Facebook Is Accusing Them of Using Fake Names” ↗