Mark Zuckerberg’s motivation to create Facebook can be seen as a combination of ambition, a love of technology and a desire to connect people. As a student of Harvard University, Zuckerberg had already hacked into Harvard databases and created early versions of social media networks, showing his technological ambition and understanding of how people interact online.
In a interview in 2019, Zuckerberg described his motivations to create Facebook, saying “I wanted to create a place where people could come together and share the things that matter to them, form more meaningful connections and ultimately, learn from each other.” He had already seen the success of Myspace, and was inspired to build a social media platform with better features and services‐ something that connected people at an even greater level.
Psychologist and author John Suler suggests that Zuckerberg’s motivation could have been technology addiction, an psychological concept describing people going and returning compulsively to technology to fulfil some need. Zuckerberg, and many people of his generation, had grown up with technology, and it was a natural part of his life like eating or sleeping. Suler suggests that Zuckerberg may have felt a need to develop an innovative creation, something that could alleviate his boredom and give him a sense of accomplishment.
Internet experts have argued that Zuckerberg’s drive to create a successful social media platform was likely grounded in money, power and fame. Time Magazine covered the founding of Facebook, explaining why the they created Facebook, saying that they wanted to “build something that mattered—something that could become an intrinsic part of people’s lives. Zuckerberg’s wanting to create something that would last and be remembered could be considered a motivation too.
Ambition
We can see that Zuckerberg’s dominant motivation to create Facebook may have been ambition, which was developed from a young age. Born in White Plains, New York in 1984, Zuckerberg grew up with access to computers and the internet from an early age, and was already writing secure computer programs and software by the age of 12. His father, Edward, was an early computer programmer, introducing young Mark to computers and the vocabulary that comes with it. His father often reinforced how important it was to be ambitious and goal-oriented and to strive for success.
This sense of ambition was seen to come to fruition when Zuckerberg was accepted into Harvard University in 2002. In its 2005 article entitled “Mark Zuckerberg: Harvard’s Whiz Kid”, The Harvard Crimson stated that Zuckerberg was “known in the Gates computer lab for his amazing programming skills”. This love of technology, along with ambition to succeed, may have been a driving force in the development of Facebook.
Though Zuckerberg was often seen as an introverted character, his ambition to succeed outweighed his quiet demeanor, as demonstated by his hacking into university databases before Facebook was even an idea. His technical ability was already being used to win student awards and be recognized by many at Harvard. It is this ambition, combined with the development of his technological skills, that may have pushed him forward to create something of his own- Facebook.
Connecting People
Another motivation for Zuckerberg could have been a desire to connect people. After an early success with Harvard Connection, an early version of Facebook, Zuckerberg was driven to keep developing the social networking platform. When releasing the finalized version of Facebook, “TheFacebook”, he wrote a blog post saying “A lot of people have already signed up, so it’s obviously something that people want.” He went on to say that he wanted people to connect in “a more efficient way”.
Also, in a 2019 about his motivation for founding Facebook, Zuckerberg described the idea for connection. “I wanted to build a service that would bring people together. I wanted to make it easier for people to connect with the people in their lives and share the things that were important to them.” A desire to provide people with a way to make better connections, across geographical distances and technological barriers, was a motivator for Zuckerberg.
These connections have now led to the number of Facebook account holders surpassing 2.5 billion active users each month. It shows the success of Zuckerberg’s desire to build something that could connect people, something that could build meaningful relationships and lead to a new, more connected world.
Technology
In addition to a desire to connect people, Zuckerberg had a passion for technology. Growing up in the first decade of the internet, he had seen the potential of computer technology, the potential applications and impact it had on people’s lives.
Zuckerberg had written software programs and adapted open source systems for other organizations. Seeing how people interacted online, via online chat systems and message boards, he was spurred on to build something of his own.
The technological skills his father had taught him, combined with an extensive knowledge of coding and programing, meant Zuckerberg was well-equipped to begin creating more sophisticated social networking sites and allowed him to work on his ambitions.
In 2017, Zuckerberg said that technology was at the centre of how he created Facebook, and how it works, noting that the “power of computers and the internet is that it can increase the efficiency and speed of our lives and enable us to do more.”
Money and Fame
Internet experts have argued that Zuckerberg’s motivation to create Facebook could have been financial and to gain fame. In 2005, the same year that Facebook was launched, Zuckerberg was already being recognized as an Internet entrepreneur.
In addition to this fame, Zuckerberg may have had ambitions to become a millionaire. Facebook was gaining users, and his technological and entrepreneurial abilities were being recognised. By 2004 Zuckerberg had proved that Facebook was a successful business, and didn’t need to be run as a traditional business.
Zuckerberg also saw Facebook as a way to share his ideas and ambitions with the world. In this way, it can be argued that fame was also a motivator when creating the platform. As Facebook gained users, Microsoft purchased a 1.6% stake in the company for $240 million in 2007, furthering Zuckerbergs fame and illustrating the commercial potential of Facebook.
Interests
Zuckerberg’s interests and hobbies have had an influence on his motivation to create Facebook. His debate skills, learned through his mother, have been key in navigating the public conversations around Facebook and ensuring it had a safe and secure future.
He had already created previous social networking sites and programs which allowed him to know what the people wanted. In addition, his sense of humour and wit has been seen to help keep the platform interesting and engaging to its users, something which he continues to work on.
Zuckerberg’s sense of aesthetics and visual understanding have been seen to help make Facebook more aesthetically pleasing, contributing to comfort and ease of use. His musical ability also has been seen to help create harmony between the “songs of the world that he is bringing together”.
Though some interests may be more behind the scenes, it is clear that Zuckerberg’s personal interests were a motivation for creating the platform. They have contributed to the user experience, to the ethics and purpose of the platform, and the success it has achieved.
Vision
Finally, Zuckerberg had a strong vision for what he wanted Facebook to become. This vision was likely inspired by a combination of the technology he had access to, his understanding of human behaviour and his personal interests.
Zuckerberg’s understanding of the need for connection and the convenience of technology allowed him to build a social media platform that people can connect on, a platform with real emotions, thoughts and experiences. Though the goal of making a profit has been cited as a motivation for Zuckerberg, it is clear that he has held a vision from the start of what he wanted Facebook to become.
As he said in a 2019 interview, “My goal was to make the internet more open and connected…Ultimately, I wanted to build something that could help bring people together and help them communicate and learn.” This sense of vision leads to the success of each feature that is added to Facebook, and pushing the platform forward.
Longterm Plans
In addition to his short-term visions, Zuckerberg had planned to continue developing Facebook in the longterm. He has often said that helping to connect the world was something that he wanted to build “for a long time to come.” In 2020 he stated that “we’ll still be figuring out this project for many years to come.”
In his blog post in 2004 announcing the creation of “TheFacebook”, he wrote “TheFacebook is here to stay.” His continual focus and commitment to the platform suggest that he intended to create a lasting platform, making it more than just a quick thing of the moment. This longterm vision for Facebook is something still necessary for it to be successful, and one could argue it is a motivator for Zuckerberg.
Though the motivations of Mark Zuckerberg and the founding of Facebook remain somewhat mysterious, it is clear that a combination of ambition and a desire to connect people drove him to create the world’s largest social media platform. His love of technology, along with his personal interests, allowed him to build the longterm vision of what he, and Facebook, could become.