THINK LIKE ZUCK: 5 Secrets of Building and Managing an Innovative Business
Secret Sauce? Or a Mentality? PASSION PURPOSE PEOPLE PRODUCT PARTNERSHIPS
An Eye of an Entrepreneur
I know it sounds corny, but I d love to improve people s lives, especially socially Making the world more open is not an overnight thing. It s a ten-to-fifteen-year thing. ~Mark Zuckerberg PASSION
PASSION Build what you believe in. Align your business interests with your personal philosophy. Passion fuels perseverance key ingredient of success. False starts are simply invaluable learning experiences toward the next iteration of an idea or a product. It doesn t matter where inspiration comes from. Your idea may not be fully original, but always create your masterpiece authentically and with purpose.
PASSION
At Facebook, we re inspired by technologies that have revolutionized how people spread and consume information. We often talk about inventions like the printing press and the television by simply making communication more efficient, they led to a complete transformation of many important parts of society. They gave more people a voice. They encouraged progress. They changed the way society was organized. They brought us closer together. ~Mark Zuckerberg PURPOSE
PURPOSE A company s direction may change as it grows, but the true purpose of a successful company stays the same. Great companies don t just create great products, they create movements. Successful leaders are purpose driven but they also have the courage to stand by their vision and execute on their convictions, no matter the external pressure.
I think as a company, if you can get those two things right having a clear direction on what you are trying to do and bringing in great people who can execute on the stuff then you can do pretty well. ~Mark Zuckerberg PEOPLE
PEOPLE Success is a team sport. Your company s culture (or the lack thereof) directly contributes to the success of your business. Hire for attitude. Skills can be taught; passion can t. Offer your employees a nontraditional career path that is based on their contributions and value-based behaviors and not on their age or credentials.
We look for people who are passionate about something. In a way, it almost doesn t matter what you re passionate about. What we really look for when we re interviewing people is what they ve shown an initiative to do on their own. ~Mark Zuckerberg PEOPLE
PEOPLE Transparency and empowerment breed dedication, loyalty, and trust. Your people are your brand. Each one of your employees is your brand s face, your brand s best ambassador, your best marketer. A company s success is serious business. But introducing a little fun in the workplace makes for a happy and highly motivated employee base.
The Hacker Way is an approach to building that involves continuous improvement and iteration. Hackers believe that something can always be better, and that nothing is ever complete. They just have to go fix it often in the face of people who say it s impossible or are content with the status quo There s a hacker mantra that you ll hear a lot around Facebook offices: Code wins arguments. ~Mark Zuckerberg PRODUCT
PRODUCT False starts are simply invaluable learning experiences toward the next iteration of an idea or a product. Creating an environment of agility and a sense of urgency is critical for innovation. Make innovation personal! Involve your employees, and give them freedom to create. Prototyping trumps discussions. And sometimes curiosity and imagination trump knowledge.
PARTNERSHIPS
I think the reason [Mark and I are] a good fit is we spent most of our time talking about what we both care about and what motivated us, and I could see from Mark that what he really wanted to build was something that fundamentally was going to change who we are and how we interact. Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook s COO Sheryl has been my partner in running Facebook and has been central to our growth and success over the years. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook s CEO PARTNERSHIPS
Partnership Philosophies Clear expectations Shared values and vision Mutual trust Fair exchange of value Complementary strengths Commitment Mutual respect
Relationship-Building Strategies Never eat lunch alone Generosity: How can I help you? Be a super-connector Social media is a great tool for: Research Relationship-building Staying on top of mind Word of mouth
Social Media LinkedIn is your professional digital rolodex Facebook is your personal digital rolodex Twitter is your connector and news filter Blog is your thought-leadership channel Slideshare and Pinterest are visual tools for breaking through the noise and driving traffic All social channels are amazing marketing and content distribution tools
In closing Remember these? This telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us. Western Union internal memo, 1876 While theoretically and technically television may be feasible, commercially and financially it is an impossibility. Lee DeForest, inventor Radio has no future. Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible. X-rays will prove to be a hoax. William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, British scientist, 1899 The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a C, the idea must be feasible. A Yale University professor in response to Fred Smith s paper proposing a reliable overnight delivery service; Smith went on to found FedEx
Overnight Success Can Take Years! Lead with passion and purpose. Trust your gut. Stay nimble and never sacrifice quality. Hire the right people to help execute on your mission. And find the best partners to share their journey with. Have the courage to realize your vision and, with it, change the world.
Whether you think you can or you think you can t, YOU ARE RIGHT! ~Henry Ford
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