This article is from the archive of our partner .
While Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made the media rounds to talk up the site's 1 billionth user, he ended up spending a lot of time defending the future of the site. The PR tour tied to that milestone, which included an appearance on Rock Center with Matt Lauer and an interview in Bloomberg Businessweek, was to supposed to showcase the social network's amazing achievement and continued success. But, instead, Zuckerberg found himself talking a lot about the worries surrounding the company now that it's a publicly traded corporation.
Should Zuck Step Down as CEO?
Since the stock has lost almost half of its value since the public offering about six months ago, some have suggested that maybe Zuckerberg should cede the CEO role to someone with more corporate experience. Lauer came right out and asked Zuck what he thought about that. "An article I read said: 'Is Mark Zuckerberg in Over His Hoodie?' Do you think a CEO who has more experience might be able to take this company to the next level?" Clearly not at all amused with the "hoodie" pun, Zuck responded with what we wouldn't even call a half-hearted smile. Maybe a quarter-hearted smirk?
It doesn't sound like Zuck likes that idea at all, telling Lauer he takes the job "really seriously" and that building the product and the business "go hand-in-hand." But, Bloomberg Businessweek's Brad Stone and Ashlee Vance push the question further, asking "What do you know about the public markets and about institutional investors that you wish you had known maybe six months ago?" That very question assumes Zuck wasn't cut out for the job in the first place, since he didn't know enough six months ago. Again, the Facebook creator doesn't admit he's not CEO enough for the job, reiterating a point he has made before. "We're focused on the long-term."