My number one piece of advice is: you should learn how to program.
Mark ZuckerbergRead
This is a perverse thing, personally, but I would rather be in the cycle where people are underestimating us. It gives us latitude to go out and make big bets that excite and amaze people.
Interpretation
Underestimation can be an advantage, allowing for bold risks and impressive achievements.
Mark Zuckerberg reflects on the advantage of being underestimated, suggesting that it provides a unique opportunity for individuals or teams to take significant risks that can lead to remarkable outcomes. This mindset fosters creativity and innovation, as the pressure of expectations is lifted, enabling new ideas and ventures that can surprise and delight others.
In practice
During a motivational speech at a startup conference.
My number one piece of advice is: you should learn how to program.
I literally coded Facebook in my dorm room and launched it from my dorm room. I rented a server for $85 a month, and I funded it by putting an ad on the side, and we've funded ever since by putting ads on the side.
People can be really smart or have skills that are directly applicable, but if they don't really believe in it, then they are not going to really work hard.
Simply put: we don't build services to make money; we make money to build better services.
The question isn't, 'What do we want to know about people?', It's, 'What do people want to tell about themselves?'
Building a mission and building a business go hand in hand. The primary thing that excites me is the mission. But we have always had a healthy understanding that we need to do both.
A lot of times when you have very short-term goals with a high payoff, nasty things can happen. In particular, a lot of people will take the low road there. They'll become myopic. They'll crowd out the longer-term interests of the organization or even of themselves.
A merchant who approaches business with the idea of serving the public well has nothing to fear from the competition.
I didn't realize that winning the Olympics at age 14 automatically put me in the category of being a celebrity.
In the great undertakings, there is glory, even in failure.
For a long time, I'd work until 10 or 11. When I work, I'm on. I'm 'Magic.' I love it, but it takes a lot out of me.
My proudest moment? Every Friday morning when I look at the board at Celtic Park and see my name on the team sheet for tomorrow's game.
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