Mark Zuckerberg on Taking Risks and Finding Talented People

TL;DR

Facebook became a formal Delaware company about six months in when Peter Thiel invested, despite Zuckerberg telling Thiel he planned to return to school. The core conclusion is that in a rapidly changing world, the biggest risk is taking no risk, and that hiring exceptionally talented people regardless of specific experience—then giving them opportunity to grow—is the key to building a strong team

Key insights

• Peter Thiel invested knowing Zuckerberg and Dustin likely would not go back to school; he either believed he could talk them out of it or knew they would not return.
• Zuckerberg cannot institutionally believe experience is critical because he started the company at 19.
• Raw talent can be assessed through side projects and other accomplishments even if the candidate has never done the specific job before.