What Can We Learn from the "Bad Boy" Worth $200 Billion?

Introduction

Hello, I'm Wang Yuquan, and this is my latest commentary on global trends. Today, I want to share some insights from my experiences in Silicon Valley and discuss what we can learn from one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Meta (formerly Facebook), who is now the third richest person in the world with a net worth of $219 billion.

The Starting Point of a Legend

In early January, I visited the place where Zuckerberg started his entrepreneurial journey—a three-story house known as "Facebook House." This house, rented by Zuckerberg after he dropped out of Harvard in 2004, has become a symbol of Silicon Valley's startup culture. It is now a social platform operated by two social enthusiasts, Shi Dawei and Wu Haoran. I was honored to gather with some friends in this house, which has witnessed the legendary story of Meta and the entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley.

The True Story Behind the Success

Zuckerberg's创业 (startup) story was portrayed in the movie "The Social Network," which depicted him as someone who plagiarized his roommate's idea to create a website for college students to connect online, which eventually became Facebook. However, the reality is more complex. Whether the idea for Facebook originated from Zuckerberg or his roommate is not the key point. What matters is that Zuckerberg and his team were not the first to start such a project. At that time, Facebook did not have many unique features; it was simply a platform for people to share their social profiles online. The only distinctive aspect was that it required registration with a college email address, which did not provide a significant competitive advantage.

The Turning Point: News Feed

The real turning point for Facebook came three years after its founding in 2007 when the News Feed feature was introduced. This feature, which is now commonplace, allowed users to see updates from their friends, such as travel photos and life events. At the time, this was a groundbreaking innovation. However, it also sparked significant controversy, with many users arguing that it invaded their privacy. Despite the backlash, Zuckerberg insisted that this was what users truly wanted. His judgment proved to be correct, as Facebook's user base quickly grew from tens of millions to hundreds of millions within a few years.

The "Bad Boy" Spirit

It is worth reflecting on whether we could make such a decision in the face of strong opposition from both users and within the company. The answer is not straightforward. If you are a "good boy" who always follows the rules, it would be extremely difficult to make such a decision. However, if you are a "bad boy" like Zuckerberg, making such a decision might come as naturally as breathing.

Zuckerberg's early days at "Facebook House" were not just about coding and strategizing; they were also filled with parties. They would invite a large group of people to gather, drink beer, listen to music, chat, and barbecue. Their lively activities often led to noise complaints from neighbors, and there were even instances of drunk driving accidents. When I visited "Facebook House," I saw the holiday lights that Zuckerberg supposedly hung up himself, which seemed to bring to life the passionate and intense years of their early entrepreneurship.

The Key to Success

The story of IT startups teaches us a somewhat melancholic truth: many "bad boys" are the ones who achieve success. However, it is not simply being "bad" that leads to success. Zuckerberg's experiences as a "bad boy" gave him a deeper understanding of human nature. This understanding allowed him to know what users truly wanted—constant updates from friends rather than irrelevant advertisements or push notifications. This insight into human nature was the key to Facebook's and Zuckerberg's success.

Lessons for AI Entrepreneurs

In recent times, through various exhibitions, visits, and analysis of industry trends, I have come to realize that the technological foundation for AI transformation is already in place. Whether it is AI large models or supporting technologies, they are relatively mature. However, the challenge remains in how to transform these technologies into products and services that meet people's needs and solve the pain points that users may not even be aware of.

At present, most entrepreneurs are well-behaved top students with strong technical skills but often lack an understanding of human nature and needs. This is evident in products like AI glasses, AI PCs, AI pins, and Apple's Apple Intelligence, which, despite being impressive, often lack practical applications and struggle to become widely adopted.

In the AI era, the key is not just having "tanks" but being able to launch "blitzkriegs." Entrepreneurs who are playful and have a deep understanding of human nature, like Zuckerberg, are more likely to make a significant impact in the field of AI applications. They are willing to try new things and design products and services that truly meet user needs.

Conclusion

If you are someone who loves to have fun, now is the time to consider entering the AI space. The infrastructure for AI is already in place, and if you can create something fun and widely shareable, you can seize the opportunities unique to this AI era. By doing so, you can bring the value of technology to households while achieving significant commercial success.

Great ideas come from communication and collaboration.