Summary:
As Tyler, Cameron, and Divya get ready to graduate, they launch their website, ConnectU, formerly known as the Harvard Connection. Tyler and Cameron plan to make a go for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and hope ConnectU gains popularity. However, Tyler is still bitter about Mark's actions, and how it didn't work out for them. The story then goes to Silicon Valley, where Mark and his programmers coincidentally come across Sean. Sean is moving out his girlfriend's house, and has no place to stay. Which is perfect, because Mark just moved into a new house down the street. While he crashes at their new place, Sean thinks about Eduardo's whereabouts, and his involvement. He starts to question Eduardo's relevancy and importance to thefacebook. Later on, Eduardo quits his internship in New York, and heads to Silicon Valley. On the flight trip, he starts to get irritated with Mark's association with Sean, and their level of involvement. When Eduardo arrives at California, he is picked up by Dustin and Mark, and is driven to a party Sean is attending. As they meet Sean and his wild stories, Eduardo notices something strange; Victoria Secret models flirting with Mark. Eduardo then leaves four days later, after days of business meetings and partying.
The story then flips back to Tyler and Cameron, as they compete in the Henley Royal Regatta. His team loses by two seconds, and the opposing team receives the trophy and celebration. While being congratulated for effort by their host father, he mentions his daughter taking pictures, and asks the brothers if they can be found on thefacebook. Tyler and Cameron are shocked to hear how it's now international, while their website, ConnectU, is only in numerous schools. Tired of hearing about thefacebook, Tyler and Cameron decide to go after Mark.
Back in New York, Eduardo calls up Mark and argues about his position in thefacebook and how he's still the businessman. This comes after he learns that Parker has set up meetings with potential advertisers. Eduardo then sends Mark a letter reassuring his position as CFO, which Mark and Sean views as a cry for attention and childish. Trying to get his point across, Eduardo freezes thefacebook's bank account, which is under his control.
Afterward, Sean and Mark are on a elevator ride to meet Peter Thiel, founder of Paypal, head of Clarium Capital, and on of the richest men in America. While waiting to reach their floor, Sean starts to think about Eduardo's immaturity with the letter, and freezing the bank account, which could have possibly risked thefacebook as a whole. Thefacebook desperately needs money for a structural renovation, to pay for servers, and because of Tyler and Cameron's lawsuit against them. Which is why they needed to secure Peter Thiel as their angel investor, to help them secure thefacebook financially.
Quotation:
"Eduardo would go back to school. But Mark Zuckerberg had found his place in
the world." (Mezrich 225)
Reaction:
Seeing as this is Sean's thinking, he views Eduardo as finding his education priority over thefacebook. Mark in the other hand, is completely dedicated to thefacebook, enough not to return to Harvard. Sean is sure about Mark's involvement, viewing it as his place in the world, what he's fitted to do. This is a contrast to how in the beginning of the novel, his personality and social awkwardness wouldn't seem to get him anywhere far, according to Eduardo.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
The Accidental Billionaires (Pg.82-165)
Summary:
Tyler, Cameron, and Divya sit in a Porcellian-exclusive room, as they think about Mark's involvement and his constant delays on the project. Mark claims he's too busy with schoolwork to work on the Harvard Connection, sending them emails about his progress. The three then talk about the possibility of having to find a new programmer. On February 4, 2004, Mark goes over the final version of thefacebook with Eduardo, going over its features. Thefacebook was exclusively for Harvard members, as it required a Harvard.edu e-mail, and was originally sent to the Phoenix members, to make the website circulate faster. As the website launches, Eduardo suggests the both of them to celebrate, but Mark chooses to simply stare at his own creation. The book then goes back to Tyler and Cameron, as they're both interrupted by Divya while working out. Divya shows them the last edition of the Crimson, headlining Thefacebook. They get angry over it's wild success, and its similarities to the Harvard Connection. They also get angry about themselves because between them and Mark, there were no files, forms, or agreement signed, meaning Mark can legally get away with it.
Now, as Eduardo and Mark sat, listening to Bill Gates giving a speech at Harvard, they are interrupted by two Asian girls. They ask Eduardo if that's Mark sitting next to him, much to his surprise. He then realizes Mark's fame has soared through ever since the launch of Thefacebook. The two Asian girls asks them out for a drink later, which Eduardo obviously agrees to. When Eduardo and Mark arrive to his dorm room, Eduardo discovers a cease-and-desist letter from Tyler and Cameron, regarding about his role with the Harvard Connection. They accuse him of taking their premise of the Harvard Connection and using it for Thefacebook, and demand it to shutdown. Mark reassures Eduardo he has it handled, by even sending them back a letter. In the letter, Mark makes it clear that he didn't sign anything, and only expressed interest into the Harvard Connection. Soon afterward, Dustin, and Chris come in through the door, offering help with Thefacebook's growth by programming. They then decide to expand.
Tyler and Cameron arranged a meeting with the president of Harvard, to see what actions he can take against Mark. During the meeting, the president makes it clear to them that there's nothing he or Harvard can do about it, and tells them to simply move on. Tyler practically storms off, angry at the president's apathy toward their situation. Now the story jumps to Sean Parker, founder of Napster and Plaxo, both which didn't turn out well for him. As an entrepreneur, he's been trying to think of the next big thing. He finds it when he stumbles over Facebook, which has reached to Stanford University. Sean then sets up a meeting with them in New York. There, Sean and Mark have an instant connection, sharing the same vision for Thefacebook. Eduardo is obviously jealous, and starts to worry about Sean's risky strategies. As they depart, Eduardo ensures Mark they have enough money and don't need Sean's help.
As Facebook becomes larger, several people have been coming to Mark and Eduardo on potential offers, which they both refuse. Mark still believes Facebook shouldn't be about the money. Mark then reveals to Eduardo he's moving to Silicon Valley with the 8 other interns. This conflicts with Eduardo's plans to take up an internship in New York, while also setting up business meetings for Facebook.
Quotation:
"He knew he had set the bar really fucking high. If it wasn’t a billion-dollar company—his own YouTube, his Google—then it wasn’t worth his time. But he’d already had a Plaxo, and the experience had been less than satisfying. The next time it would be a billion dollars or bust." (Mezrich 144)
Reaction:
Just like Mark, Sean wants to make something groundbreaking, that he can be able to call his own. They want to set themselves apart from everyone else, which causes their instant connection when they meet. One difference however is that Sean cares more about the profit and success, rather than the project's/company's goal.
Tyler, Cameron, and Divya sit in a Porcellian-exclusive room, as they think about Mark's involvement and his constant delays on the project. Mark claims he's too busy with schoolwork to work on the Harvard Connection, sending them emails about his progress. The three then talk about the possibility of having to find a new programmer. On February 4, 2004, Mark goes over the final version of thefacebook with Eduardo, going over its features. Thefacebook was exclusively for Harvard members, as it required a Harvard.edu e-mail, and was originally sent to the Phoenix members, to make the website circulate faster. As the website launches, Eduardo suggests the both of them to celebrate, but Mark chooses to simply stare at his own creation. The book then goes back to Tyler and Cameron, as they're both interrupted by Divya while working out. Divya shows them the last edition of the Crimson, headlining Thefacebook. They get angry over it's wild success, and its similarities to the Harvard Connection. They also get angry about themselves because between them and Mark, there were no files, forms, or agreement signed, meaning Mark can legally get away with it.
Now, as Eduardo and Mark sat, listening to Bill Gates giving a speech at Harvard, they are interrupted by two Asian girls. They ask Eduardo if that's Mark sitting next to him, much to his surprise. He then realizes Mark's fame has soared through ever since the launch of Thefacebook. The two Asian girls asks them out for a drink later, which Eduardo obviously agrees to. When Eduardo and Mark arrive to his dorm room, Eduardo discovers a cease-and-desist letter from Tyler and Cameron, regarding about his role with the Harvard Connection. They accuse him of taking their premise of the Harvard Connection and using it for Thefacebook, and demand it to shutdown. Mark reassures Eduardo he has it handled, by even sending them back a letter. In the letter, Mark makes it clear that he didn't sign anything, and only expressed interest into the Harvard Connection. Soon afterward, Dustin, and Chris come in through the door, offering help with Thefacebook's growth by programming. They then decide to expand.
Tyler and Cameron arranged a meeting with the president of Harvard, to see what actions he can take against Mark. During the meeting, the president makes it clear to them that there's nothing he or Harvard can do about it, and tells them to simply move on. Tyler practically storms off, angry at the president's apathy toward their situation. Now the story jumps to Sean Parker, founder of Napster and Plaxo, both which didn't turn out well for him. As an entrepreneur, he's been trying to think of the next big thing. He finds it when he stumbles over Facebook, which has reached to Stanford University. Sean then sets up a meeting with them in New York. There, Sean and Mark have an instant connection, sharing the same vision for Thefacebook. Eduardo is obviously jealous, and starts to worry about Sean's risky strategies. As they depart, Eduardo ensures Mark they have enough money and don't need Sean's help.
As Facebook becomes larger, several people have been coming to Mark and Eduardo on potential offers, which they both refuse. Mark still believes Facebook shouldn't be about the money. Mark then reveals to Eduardo he's moving to Silicon Valley with the 8 other interns. This conflicts with Eduardo's plans to take up an internship in New York, while also setting up business meetings for Facebook.
Quotation:
"He knew he had set the bar really fucking high. If it wasn’t a billion-dollar company—his own YouTube, his Google—then it wasn’t worth his time. But he’d already had a Plaxo, and the experience had been less than satisfying. The next time it would be a billion dollars or bust." (Mezrich 144)
Reaction:
Just like Mark, Sean wants to make something groundbreaking, that he can be able to call his own. They want to set themselves apart from everyone else, which causes their instant connection when they meet. One difference however is that Sean cares more about the profit and success, rather than the project's/company's goal.
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