OK, here’s the Facebook IPO. It’s here. We knew it was coming. We’re all waiting to analyze the results, and see how many of us have been humiliated.
So first, let me go with my take on this. Thus I am prepared for humilation.
- I don’t see it as a long-term investment. I’ve seen too many companies come and go – Facebook has to become “infrastructural,” and I’m not sure they’ve done it enough to maintain it.
- Can Facebook become “infrastructural?” Yes, but I think they’re aiming to be “everything.”
- Facebook seems new, some of it’s not – it’s a social integration site, and that used to be called “Prodigy” and “AOL.” That’s fine, but I’m not sure this model can quite work income-wise in the modern age.
- I think Facebook does have enough money and energy to refocus itself to be a success and validate (or expand) it’s stock prices. My fuzzy vision for it is a kind of integrated social services company with various income streams.
- Facebook could “over generalize” itself to become about so much it’s not about anything. It could then split into several business lines. This would be interesting to watch.
Now, from around the net as of this morning:
- The Atlantic has an informative, cautious thought about the IPO.
- The debut didn’t seem so hot as of this posting.
– Steven Savage