Twitter Was Act One

Considering that he invented Twitter and is about to launch another potential game changer with his new company, Square, Jack Dorsey has one of the lowest profiles in tech. But from his childhood obsession (city maps) to his dream job (mayor of New York City), Dorsey’s eclectic, ascetic vision has focused on the flow of human interaction. David Kirkpatrick gets the press-shy visionary talking about his taxicab inspiration, his ejection as Twitter’s C.E.O., and his ambition to make Square the payment network of the future.

Source: Vanity Fair
Published: Mar 3, 2011
Length: 18 minutes (4,543 words)

With a Little Help From His Friends

At 19, Sean Parker helped create Napster. At 24, he was founding president of Facebook. At 30, he’s the hard-partying, press-shy genius of social networking, a budding billionaire, and about to be famous — played by Justin Timberlake in David Fincher’s new film, The Social Network.

Source: Vanity Fair
Published: Oct 1, 2010
Length: 16 minutes (4,068 words)

Mark Zuckerberg: The Temptation of Facebook’s CEO

If not for founder Mark Zuckerberg’s stubborn streak, social-media pioneer Facebook might be just another part of a giant media or tech outfit today. Instead it’s a giant on its own, with close to 500 million users, some $20 billion in market value, and millions of investors eagerly awaiting an IPO. For his new book, “The Facebook Effect: the Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World,” Fortune contributor David Kirkpatrick gained unprecedented access to the company and Zuckerberg, who turns 26 this month. In this adapted excerpt, Kirkpatrick reveals Zuckerberg’s turmoil as he resisted takeover offers from a parade of moguls.

Source: Fortune
Published: May 6, 2010
Length: 13 minutes (3,320 words)