Hi Anthony:
That's my take too, but someone like this is probably unlikely to see his limitations and step aside. It's unfortunate because Facebook has grown into a huge organization. Their CEO, however doesn't seem to have grown into the job.

Thanks for the comment.
Ron

Specifically the way he has handled the entire privacy fiasco, which I've written about frequently both here and in other venues, and which I alluded to in the first paragraph.

His reaction in the Washington Post piece was to blame users for not being knowledgeable enough about his obtuse privacy controls. He says Facebook is about sharing, which it is, but we should control whom we share with, not Facebook and he doesn't seem to get that no matter how many times he hears it.

He misread and underestimated reaction to Facebook Beacon, and he has continually dismissed user concerns about how Facebook is using its data. A large organization like Facebook needs someone with tact who can smoothly and deftly deal with concerns and be a public face.

I realize you too are a young CEO and I'm not suggesting that nobody in their 20s can run a company. I would point to Aaron Levie at Box.net, the 25 year old CEO of Box.net, who similarly started the company in his dorm room. He seems to handle the job much more smoothly than Zuckerberg.

To answer the last part of your question, the person would present a competent public face, but more than that, they would if they are good at what they do understand the role of the organization in society. A company like Facebook is a more difficult company to manage because it is dealing intimate information about people's lives. A seasoned CEO wouldn't be a pancea for Facebook. Look at Google. They have made major gaffes over the years with Schmidt at the helm, but it does give a sense of seriousness, which Facebook is clearly lacking today.

Firstly he has a credibility problem, as he settled out of court re the legal action taken on him for alleging that he "stole" the idea. So right away no one believes him.

That's a good point, Anthony. There was a lawsuit filed by ConnectU claiming he stole the code for Facebook, and there was an out of court settlement in 2008, but if he truly is a thief, it doesn't rule out that he could be a good executive. As you point, however, it does put his credibility into question and should a person with a significant credibility issue be running a company like Facebook?

Ron

That's an interesting analysis Katherine. And you're right, just because Facebook says it, doesn't mean it's true. It's in their best interest to inflate their numbers.

I would say there are many in the market who don't understand the implications of what Facebook does with their information. In that context, I don't think Rep. Boucher's bill is at all unreasonable.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Ron

Paulsonmax,

Thanks for your comment. As I said in a previous comment, some are suited to it more than others, but when your company reaches the size of Facebook, I think it's certainly better to bring an experienced pro on board as you suggest.

Thanks again for the comment.

Ron

Zuckerberg reportedly was out of his element in an interview with All Things Digital tonight. Here's a great example of how he's not really CEO material.