If I Had Had to Code and Support a Family Back Then, Today’s Facebook Would Have Been a Long Way Off – Mark Zuckerberg
“We all know that success does not come only from good ideas or hard work. We also succeed because we are lucky,” Mark Zuckerberg said at Harvard University's recent commencement ceremony.
In his speech at Harvard University's commencement, while receiving an honorary doctorate 12 years after dropping out, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said: “Let's do great things, not just to create progress, but to create purpose.”
Looking back on his path, Mark Zuckerberg realized that everything depends on the purpose young people set and their continued progress. According to Facebook’s CEO, there are 3 ways to create purpose for young people.
First, undertake great projects; second, redefine equality so everyone is free to pursue their purpose; third, build a strong global community together.
The American billionaire advised: ‘Do not overthink it; just start doing it. Previously, I never imagined I would build a dam or rally millions of people to do anything together. But let me tell you: nobody knows what they need when they first begin an idea. Initial ideas are always dreamlike and hard to picture; only when you start doing them do they become clear. So just begin. If I had understood everything about connecting people before starting, I would never have created Facebook.’
However, Mark Zuckerberg believes that when beginning a new idea, young people need to be mentally prepared for misunderstanding.
He affirmed that anyone with a big idea that goes beyond the people around them can easily be considered crazy, even when the idea is right. The more complex the idea, the more young people are labeled as “failing to anticipate the challenges,” although nobody can know everything from the outset. The more proactive the idea, the more it will be criticized for moving too fast, because someone always wants you to slow down.
Facebook's CEO concluded: “People often reject big ideas because they fear making mistakes. People will overlook what is wrong if we do nothing. The truth is that anything we do will create problems in the future. But that must not stop young people from beginning.”
‘I know many entrepreneurs, and none of them abandoned a startup simply because they lacked money. But I know many people who do not dare pursue their dreams because they have no safety net to rely on if they fail. We all know success comes from more than a good idea or hard work; we also succeed because of luck. Back then, if I had needed to support a family while writing code, I would not be standing here today, and Facebook would not exist as it does now. We must understand how fortunate we are,’ Zuckerberg said.
According to this young CEO, while previous generations fought for voting and civil rights, today's younger generation needs to define a new social contract.
Progress is measured not only by economic indicators such as GDP but also by how many people play meaningful roles. He believes mistakes are inevitable for young people, so society should neither constrain nor stigmatize them for this.
Speaking about his fundraising campaigns, Mark Zuckerberg emphasized that enabling young people to realize their full potential requires more than financial assistance. It also takes time and the easing of regulatory frameworks.
“I assure you that if you can spend 1 to 2 hours each week listening to or helping with a new idea, young people will be able to realize their potential,” Zuckerberg said, calling on the community to get involved.
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