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Ask HN: Why did no competitors beat Facebook to win social networking?
Surely the opportunity became obvious, why did a host of me-toos not spring up and win?
It seems to me that in 2017 if you came up with some awesome new idea then a thousand clones would be trying to wrestle the opportunity off you.
- lun4r 9y agoEhm. They did. Social networks were springing up everywhere. Facebook wasn't the first social network to become populair. Orkut, Friendster, Myspace all became popular earlier. In my country we had a local FB clone that became the most visited website locally, then lost it to FB. Also there is VK.com, a Russian Facebook clone. Attacking a strong going network effect is very, very difficult. This is a winner-takes-all market and once a clear leader emerges, good luck beating it.
- orionblastar 9y agoBack in the day BBS systems were a social network to meet locals and plan events with others. Before there was Google there was Yahoo and others who did the same things but sucked. Google found a way to do Web searches better and web add Adsense, etc. Apple did not invent the desktop computer nor the GUI, they found a way to make those better. Facebook simply made a better social network than others and could access webmail to pull contact info to invite your friends and family. Plus Facebook like Google did web ads better. Facebook sold our fb activity to third parties as well for money. Facebook also released an API for others to make video games for their social network.
- himlion 9y ago"In my country we had a local FB clone that became the most visited website locally, then lost it to FB." Hyves in the Netherlands?
- lun4r 9y agoYes, that one.
- 19eightyfour 9y agoBattle is not over. FB lost in China. Mark will move into policy politics later and when he makes the break FB will decline more. Also predict that changing market for surveillance and censorship respecting developing economies will result in newcomers getting foothold. Expect FB share price to peak in 2028 decline thereafter.