this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2026
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Outside of Facebook what has he been responsible for that didn't blow up in his face? The only other things Meta has that aren't thus far miserable failures are Instagram and Whatsapp, both of which they bought.
And Google built a search engine. Everything else they've tried to build has failed, other than maybe Gmail which was just a Yahoo Mail / Hotmail clone. Everything else that has been successful has been an acquisition: Maps (Keyhole), YouTube, Android, Google Photos (Picasa), Doubleclick...
We really need robust antitrust. How many of these acquisitions would be thriving companies in their own right, competing with the big tech giants if the tech giants hadn't been able to absorb them.
Google+ is an example of what happens when companies have to compete instead of acquiring other companies. Google poured billions into it and it flopped completely.
just wanted to add to the list that google bought writely and immediately started making it worse as google docs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalyr
IMO it’s almost worse than if G+ flopped completely. Google+ was actually awesome for the specific world of smalltime pen and paper RPGs. But of course, that one creative community of people designing & publishing cool stuff wasn’t enough to justify its cost, or challenge Facebook for supremacy, so they pulled the plug even though plenty of people were still using it. Just a waste.
If it takes multiple billions of dollars to create a product that is useful for a niche group of pen and paper RPG players, that product is probably not going to succeed.
But, also, if Facebook didn't have such an unassailable monopoly on social networking, small, focused social networks that targeted a niche group of people might have a chance of surviving.
Reminder that he stole Facebook
Oculus perhaps, although also bought
And immediately blew it up after buying it.
What is the state of VR? Still super niche?
If you have to ask, you probably know the answer :)
always will be. I just don't afford a couple hundred grand for the "bigger living room" optional accessory