10. Snapchat’s Evan Spiegel Bought Everyone This Book After Meeting With Mark Zuckerberg
Back in 2012, when the popularity of the photo-sharing app Snapchat took off, the company’s founder, Evan Spiegel, knew he had a billion-dollar idea when Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg wanted to meet.
The Zuck doesn’t meet up with just anyone.
Facebook’s strategy over the years is not to repeat all the mistakes that led to the downfall of MySpace.com.
In the last decade, Facebook has acquired Instagram, Whatsapp, and Giphy and turned them into social media giants.
This aggressive acquisition strategy has cemented Facebook’s position as THE dominant player in the social media space.
Zuckerberg wanted to do the same with Snapchat and told Speigel his plans and that if he didn’t sell the company, Facebook would release a direct competitor called ‘Poke.’
After this early and fairly brutal meeting, an incensed Speigel returned to his company’s offices and bought everyone a copy of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War.”
The book focus’ on anticipating your enemy’s next move and when is the best time to attack.
The purchase paid off as the company resisted the temptation to join Facebook and went on to get a billion-dollar valuation, while Poke was discontinued a few years later.