The Social Network

Since I write a blog related to Facebook, I’m apparently legally obligated to weigh in on the movie The Social Network, which if you’ve been living under a rock is the movie about the beginnings of Facebook. I didn’t have a real desire to see this, but I did attend DemoCamp 27 here in Toronto where it was shown after the main festivities, so I stayed and watched. Here’s what I took away:

• It’s a pretty good movie – Unfortunately, all of the hype and early reviews surrounding the movie screamed EPIC (think Casablanca, The Godfather, Pulp Fiction – movies that make you say ‘WOW’). It isn’t. It’s a  pretty good movie, well acted, good casting choices. That’s it.
• Is it really bad for Zuckerberg and/or Facebook? – A lot’s been written about Zuckerberg’s posturing about never wanting to see the movie, etc. C’mon, how long can you REALLY stay away from a movie that’s been written about you?? Apparently, for Mr. Zuckerberg et. al. the answer was 0 days as Facebook rented out an entire theater on the day of release, and Mark even showed up. My feeling is that even for a “hostile portrayel”, Zuckerberg doesn’t really look that bad in the movie. Maybe a bit abrasive, but loads of good qualities too. I don’t think it’s bad for him/them at all.
• Accurately portrays the real value of an idea - which is exactly $0.00. When Zuckerberg explains to the Winklevii that the only thing of value is the execution of the idea and not the idea itself, a whole lot of entrepreneurs around the world smiled and said “Someone in Hollywood gets it”.
• What added value did Eduardo Saverin bring to the table? – Much of the movie was from his point of view, or at least he was set up as the character you were supposed to have empathy towards. I spent the movie continuously asking the question “What did he really do of any real value??”. He wrote a check for $1k? C’mon, Zuckerberg in his Phillips Exeter Academy t-shirt and entrance into frickin’ Harvard could have found that money in lots of other places. In the end, it’s all about execution which was really about Mark. Eduardo – what exactly did you do? You WERE there in the beginning, took the risks, and should be rewarded in a grand manner. But don’t delude yourself and get greedy.
• What’s up with the Winklevii? - Okay, I know it’s a true story and all (despite the fiction), but are these people that bumblingly entitled? Really? Were they just there for comic relief? If someone should be embarrassed by this movie, look here.
• The big bad VC - Here’s a part that I thought was really unrealistic. When the big investment comes in and the corporate pie gets redistributed, the VC guy explains to Eduardo why Mark is being diluted, but he will end up with a bigger share. Given what was happening at that point and who was driving the growth/value (ummm, Mark + Sean) Eduardo should have run for the hills because something was obviously up. And, it was.
• Johns Hopkins! - I was probably the only one in the theater who appreciated this, but those exterior shots of “Harvard” were really JHU. Appropriate for those of us who think of Harvard as the “Hopkins of the Northeast”. When Mark comes out of Shaffer Hall and the camera pans left, I’m thinking “Lower Quad”!
• The motivations of geek entrepreneurs are sometimes deep-seated - The Erica character seemed so fictional and forced that I thought the beginning of the movie was kind of weak. But then, the last scene in the movie was the strongest. Not when Mark’s sitting alone in the boardroom trying to friend her. It’s the six seconds later when he refreshes his browser. I think what that scene says is very powerfully true. Most people look at people who start tech companies and think that the motivations are pretty obvious. Hollywood got this one right on. Again!

So what did you think of the movie? Leave a comment.