Why make them create 3 apps? You want 30 super-extra-cool poke apps? Why not make them make 1 app that actually does something? That means, no pokes, gifts, qu

Why make them create 3 apps? You want 30 super-extra-cool poke apps? Why not make them make 1 app that actually does something? That means, no pokes, gifts, quizzes, walls, etc. Haven't you noticed that people HATE these apps? And that there are literally tens of thousands of them? That's about all you're going to be able to create in 1/3 of a semester, as a 1 day a week class, having no facebook experience. Also, the api is not so difficult that they need to make a throw away app. You can figure it out as you go along. It could all be covered in 80 minutes of lecture. Is it worth inviting VCs? No. If they make ridiculously useful apps, they'll get attention without a VC circle jerk. "virality, monetization, and scaling" How about you teach scaling, but only when someone actually needs it. Monetization, I'd hope, is taught in a business course, and virality could be covered with about a 10 minute powerpoint. Instead, I'd talk to them about how to leverage the data and social connections of their users, and how to use that to solve practical, every day problems.