Zuckerberg’s Eyebrows Don’t Move…And Other Things I Learned on 60 Minutes
By Jeff Hilimire on Monday, January 14th, 2008So I just watched Mark Zuckerberg (you know, the 23-year-old boy-wonder CEO of Facebook, he who turns down billions of dollars) on 60 Minutes. I had recorded it from yesterday, figuring that there probably wouldn’t be much that I’d learn from it considering how 60 Minutes typically covers such things - 12 minutes tightly pulled together telling us things we’ve known for the last year. You know, true journalism stuff.
But I did learn something. Zuckerberg is amazingly awkward. Like, he’s a real life George Michael. Not George Michael the WHAM! singer (he wishes, that’d be a huge step up in coolness for him, as sad as that is), no, George Michael from Arrested Development is more like it. And if you don’t understand that reference, then buy the DVDs for this show - you’ll thank me and I won’t be so embarrassed by you anymore.
Back to the point. The guy is scary uncomfortable talking to humans. At one point the lady interviewing him says that people say he’s the next Larry and Sergey. He just blankly looks at her. After a few seconds of the most awkward moments on television, he says something to the effect of, “uh…was that a question?”.
Alright, I’m not just picking on the guy for no reason. There is a point I’m hoping to make, once I get done with this, but one last thing. If you get a chance to watch him talk, notice that his eyebrows don’t move. At all. Ever.
Ok, my point is this - how can someone that owns the website that clearly is making all the rules of social networking be so unable to be…social?! When the whole Beacon thing happened, and he handled it so poorly, I thought it was because he was some kind of steely entrepreneur that had this vision and went after it. But now I realize the truth. He just doesn’t understand how normal humans behave.
And now, for the first time, I’m wondering what the future of Facebook really will be. Unless they quickly get another CEO in there and let Mark focus on things he enjoys, like working on computers…talking to computers…going on long walks on the beach with computers… then I think one day Facebook might, instead of hanging around with its current cool friends MySpace, Google and YouTube, it might end up hanging out with a new group of friends: Geocities, Webvan and eToys.
I did not catch the interview, but based on your description, it makes one wonder how Facebook got to be as “cool” as it is right now. Perhaps the founder’s awkwardness does not have as much impact on the “coolness” of the company as one would think…
Let’s hope so, for Spunlogic’s sake. I had to put that before someone else did.
Oh Jeff, this made me chuckle. And made me miss Arrested Development even more.
But … I think I might have to disagree with you. Sometimes the most awkward people are the greatest successes. Just because somebody doesn’t have charisma doesn’t mean they don’t have vision or business savvy. In fact, I’ve often wondered how many of our past presidents would have been elected if they had the same public campaigning they do today - in an era of televised debates, crying Hilary’s, and negative campaigning.
Brilliance can be disguised by poor public speaking abilities or even social anxiety.
Check out the video here.
Saw the piece and agree - eventually he is going to have to monetize Facebook, in a real way, and the buyer market is full of slick, smart, and experienced pros. His posture is more braggadocio than true confidence.
I got the chance to spend some time with Chris DeWolfe (MySapce founder) at iMedia in late 2005. We were hanging out with some heavy hitters, talking industry. Smooth as silk, he turns to the bartender, calls “open bar… for the next 2 hours, no limits”, and that was it.
It’s not about cool, which Chris is, but it’s conscientious of perception. I bet he closed 7 figures that night from Paramount and Sony pix alone.
1. One doesn’t have to be charismatic or animated or charming behind a keyboard and monitor. There’s no ‘face-to-face’ in facebook. This guy created a place where the uncool could be cool.
2. Some of the most charismatic leaders/presidents were some of the worst. Warren Harding comes to mind…
We expect our leaders to be charismatic behind the podium AND a genius behind the office doors. Is this reasonable? Aren’t they different skill sets? Who really has both? I’m sure there are some people… I just don’t know of any.
Cindy, you make a great point. And in case I miscommunicated, I wasn’t saying his lack of charisma was my concern or lack of coolness (who is less cool than Gates, perhaps the most successful business person of all time?), its his apparent misunderstanding of how act in a social situation. His entire business centers around the concept of social interaction, something that seems completely foreign to his life.
He seems to be a great programmer, a genius perhaps. But do you really think that Apple would be the sleek, high end company it is today if Wozniak had run it instead of Jobs? The technology might have been better, but there wouldn’t be products like ipods and iphones coming out.
Basically, Zuck needs to find his Jobs…and soon.
no, I understood. I just jumped right over the obvious (as usual)
. I agree, he needs a front man.
This interview was very difficult to watch. Not only is Zuck a flat screen, his mannerisms are quite peculiar.
I think Zuck is the perfect example of being, and catering to, a child of the new millennium. To a degree, this is wonderful and most Fortune 500 companies should take a page from Zuck’s book in managing their new and emerging workforce.
However, there is a down side to the child of the new millennium and Zuck personified this in his initial response to the Beacon issue. His attitude was (and seems to still be), “You only perceive this as a concern because you don’t understand my big picture.” That’s not a quote, simply my interpretation of his actions as well as his comments in the interview.
I completely agree that he needs to find his Jobs - fast.
Corporate HR practices are learning (at an impressive rate) that a group is more productive and creative when you combine ‘millenniumers’ with baby boomers. You then have a group balanced between realism (profit, functionality, ramifications) and idealism (tomorrow’s technology, possibilities).
The key is managing the melding of the minds . . . and personalities, work ethic, and general outlook on life.
Kelly, you nailed it! It’s ok for Zuck to be idealistic and focused on the future AS LONG AS he has someone grounding his decisions in real business principles.
Plus, personally I don’t really think he even has a “big picture”, but more likely he just gets excited about this week’s idea and runs with it. And based on the interview, even sits down and codes some of it - which blows my mind (and I’m not sure if that’s really true either). Anyways, at some point that is going to catch up with him.
Jeff