LEARNINGS FROM MARK ZUCKERBERG
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg, founder, and CEO of the world’s largest social network Facebook .
Born in 1984 in White Plains, New York, Zuckerberg launched “thefacebook.com” in the room of Kirkland House at Harvard University, when he was 19-years old (2004) along with college roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes. And that’s how it all started. Since then, Mark Zuckerberg has faced several accolades, appreciation, accusations, and controversies.
One of the attributes that separate a great leader from others is the ability to single out the focus on what is important. This is what Mark is all about. Over the years he has established himself not only as a successful businessman but as a great leader who can influence others to achieve the collective goal as well. For any budding entrepreneur, this is a good lesson to learn. It’s worth mentioning that, as of March 2020, his net worth is estimated to be nearly $54 billion.
1. Be Passionate About What You Do
When you closely scrutinize the lives of some of the most successful entrepreneurs over the globe, you will notice a common trait in all of them. They are passionate about what they do. The same passion has enabled Facebook to innovate continuously and overcome every obstacle that came its way. It is that same passion which helped our Facebook prodigy reject multitudes of buyout offers, even in the face of adversity. Donald Trump sums it up brilliantly when he said, “Without passion, you don’t have energy, and without energy you have nothing.”
2. Move Fast and Break Things
Facebook has long stuck to the motto of “Move Fast and Break Things”, and it helped them grow into the world’s largest social network. Zuckerberg has always been an advocate of moving fast, even if it breaks a few things. Facebook was in a predicament when they introduced a new NewsFeed. They acted on the spur of the moment and gave users options to see both the new and old NewsFeed, which resolved the issue. They also faced a backlash from users when they introduced their Timeline feature, but their move fast approach helped them iron out issues in an expedient manner without cultivating any mistrust.
3. Hire the Right People
When it comes to hiring people for his company, you will not find a person with a firmer hand than him. He elaborated on his hiring criteria by saying, “I would only hire someone to work for me if I would work for them.” His advice for young entrepreneurs is that they should never compromise on hiring the best employees. “Over the long term, you are only going to be better if you get someone really good.”
To choose the best candidates, here is Zuckerberg’s formula: “Be upfront about what you stand for.” Hire the best talent to complement your skills.
4. Done is better than perfect
In Menlo Park, California, where Facebook HQ resides, the phrase “Done is better than perfect” is painted on the inner walls as a social mantra for the company. In other words, producing, gauging a reaction and improving should be considered a badge of honor.
After Facebook filed its S-1 to IPO at the beginning of 2012, Zuckerberg explained the philosophy behind this mantra as “The Hacker Way.” He said, “Instead of debating for days whether a new idea is possible or what the best way to build something is, hackers would rather just prototype something and see what works.”
By doing so, Facebook embraces an optimistic culture that allows them to test boundaries and say, “This can be better.”
Moral: Rather than trying to get everything perfect all at once, seek to continually improve and test boundaries.
5. You are Not A Superhuman
We are not superhuman. We are not perfect. We all make mistakes. Don’t be afraid to try new things, to make mistakes and fail. We learn from our mistakes, after all. We don’t know how to handle everything on our own, either. We can’t do it all alone, either. We need to have a good, reliable team to work with and support us. Find those who share your passion to team up with you, as well as people who compliment your skills.
MARK ZUCKERBERG
By TradeFlo
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