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Facebook's Zuckerberg modeled early management style after Steve Jobs

According to one of Facebook's early employees, founder Mark Zuckerberg admired Apple CEO Steve Jobs and modeled his early management style after Jobs' "aggressive" style.

Former Facebook designer Bryan Veloso described Zuckerberg's respect for Jobs while explaining the origin of his notorious "I'm CEO, bitch…" business cards. "It's no secret that [Zuckerberg] looked up to Steve Jobs at the time," Veloso wrote of the early days of Facebook.

"When Aaron Sittig and I were the only designers in late 2005, he would hold his design meetings with us in that classic "aggressive" Steve Jobs-style," he continued. "It was during one of those meetings where I remember him first uttering the phrase, "I'm CEO, bitch…""

When designing Zuckerberg's business card, Veloso "felt comfortable" having fun with the tagline and added the quote. "Quite simply, it was a phrase I typed in that stuck," he said. According to Veloso, the cards represented the company culture at the time, but were eventually replaced as the company grew.

Zuckerberg's quick rise to success and idiosyncratic style have drawn comparisons to Jobs. Last December, Zuckerberg beat out Jobs for the honor of Time magazine's annual "Person of the Year" title. Jobs was instead listed as one of the magazine's "People Who Mattered."

The Facebook founder also topped Jobs on Forbes magazine's list of the wealthiest Americans last year. Zuckerberg came in 35th place with an estimated net worth of $6.9 billion, while Jobs placed 42nd with a net worth of $6.1 billion.

Last fall, Jobs hosted Zuckerberg at his house to discuss Apple's Ping social music service.

Recent rumors have suggested that Facebook is looking to work around Apple's App Store with a secretive HTML5 project in order to maintain control over its platform. However, Apple is reportedly aware of the project and is believed to have lent some "minor support" to it.



77 Comments

apple ][ 13 Years · 9225 comments

Contrary to popular opinion, I happen to think that the "Social Network" movie was pretty boring and extremely overrated. I didn't find anybody to be likeable in that movie and I was secretly wishing that it turned into a disaster flick from the 70's and that everybody ended up dying a horrible death so that it would be done quicker. That would at least have made it more exciting. I don't see what's so great or innovative about Facebook, and I wouldn't compare the kid from Facebook to Steve Jobs. Facebook is one thing only, it's a social networking site, big deal. Apple and Steve Jobs have innovated in so many more ways. Some kid walking around muttering "I'm CEO bitch" doesn't sound like a good emulation of Steve Jobs.

nkalu 14 Years · 315 comments

Yap. Mr. Zuckerberg, you made a good choice. You chose a good man to look up to.

solipsism 18 Years · 25701 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by Apple ][

I don't see what's so great or innovative about Facebook, and I wouldn't compare the kid from Facebook to Steve Jobs. Facebook is one thing only, it's a social networking site, big deal. Apple and Steve Jobs have innovated in so many more ways. Some kid walking around muttering "I'm CEO bitch" doesn't sound like a good emulation of Steve Jobs.

This is what I would think you'd have said circa 1976?

Quote:
I don't see what's so great or innovative about Apple, and I wouldn't compare the kids from Apple to Henry Ford. Apple is one thing only, it's an expensive typewriter, big deal. Ford Motor Company have innovated in so many more ways. Some kids walking around muttering ""Byte into an Apple" doesn't sound like a good emulation of Henry Ford.


PS: I'm not a Facebook user but I can still see how social networking has a very real effect on facilitating communication and by extension shaping culture.

PPS: I find it interesting that the most anti-social people in this world seem most responsible for shaping our social habits.

apple ][ 13 Years · 9225 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by solipsism

This is what I would think you'd have said circa 1976?

I definitely wouldn't have said that. I hadn't touched an Apple computer yet in 1976, but by 1980-81 I had, and I quickly knew what the deal was.

Quote:
Originally Posted by solipsism

PS: I'm not a Facebook user but I can still see how social networking has a very real effect on facilitating communication and by extension shaping culture.

PPS: I find it interesting that the most anti-social people in this world seem most responsible for shaping our social habits.

I don't deny that Facebook is huge and has a gazillion members. Who was their main competitor before they became big? MySpace? They were lucky with that because MySpace was disgusting looking and their design and layout was pukeworthy.

Like you, I'm not a Facebook member either, so I'm probably biased here. I just don't like broadcasting my private details and putting it on the net for all to see. And besides, I have too many enemies, and I'd rather that they didn't know what I was up to either.

lkrupp 19 Years · 10521 comments

Steve Jobs has influenced more people over the years than we can imagine. Jobs owns Silicon Valley and has since day one. I look forward to reading his authorized biography when it is published.