Media or Technology Company?
Most people look at companies like Facebook, MySpace — and even Punchbowl — and categorize them as media companies. Like the old media stalwarts (Hearst, Conde Nast etc) these new web companies are thought to be extensions of the same kind of business.
Yesterday, Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook Founder & CEO) said this little gem in response to a statement by Kara Swisher at the AllThingsD conference yesterday:
Kara: you are a media company.
Mark: no we are a technology company. We focus on building technology.
Well said, Mark. I like to think of Punchbowl as a technology company too. We’re focused on building the best technology to enable people to plan a great celebration, and we’re building the technology that’s required to build our business as well. Sure, we may also develop new content and sell advertising (like a media company) but ultimately what sets us apart is the technology and user interface that our users love.
I thought this was an interesting tidbit from a guy who has built a pretty impressive technology company. Call him lucky, shrewd, or brash — but I respect Mark and the team at Facebook for the amazing technology company they have built.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Does technology beget media or media beget technology?
Did the printing press enable the rise of print media or were the print media innovators technology companies which utilized the printing press technology?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
I like to recognize Facebook is both a technology and a media company, new media. While in a traditional sense, Facebook IS a technology company and where the focus of their development arises. However, they adapt their products to the demands of the “media” or consumer interface which has created their brand, and the technology developed further allows this to integrate. It’s the new word of mouth…new media.