In 2014, I was the Chief Business Officer of WhatsApp.
And I helped negotiate the $22 billion sale to Facebook.
Today, I regret it.
Here’s where things went wrong:
neeraj arora
6,667 posts
neeraj arora
@neerajarora
Joined June 2007
- Replying to @neerajaroraTech companies need to admit when they have done wrong. Nobody knew in the beginning that Facebook would become a Frankenstein monster that devoured user data and spat out dirty money. We didn’t either.
- Replying to @neerajaroraIn order for the Tech ecosystem to evolve, we need to talk about how perverse business models cause well-intentioned products, services, and ideas to go wrong. And where we go from here. An amazing piece by @dseetharaman to start the conversation:
- Replying to @neerajaroraIf you used WhatsApp in early days, you remember what made the product special: International communication. For people (like myself) with family in multiple countries, WhatsApp was a way to stay connected—without paying long-distance SMS or calling fees
- Replying to @neerajaroraHow WhatsApp made money was by charging users $1 to download the app. And Facebook (said they) supported our mission & vision. Brian even wrote this famous note:
- Replying to @neerajaroraToday, WhatsApp is Facebook’s second largest platform (even bigger than Instagram or FB Messenger). But it’s a shadow of the product we poured our hearts into, and wanted to build for the world. And I am not the only one who regrets that it became part of Facebook when it did.
- Replying to @neerajaroraAs we began talking through the acquisition, and made our stance very clear: - No mining user data - No ads (ever) - No cross-platform tracking FB and their management agreed and we thought they believed in our mission.
- Replying to @neerajaroraUntil eventually, in 2018, right as details of the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal came out, Brian Acton sent a tweet that sent shockwaves through the social media stratosphere. x.com/brianacton/sta…
- Replying to @neerajaroraOf course, that’s not what happened. In 2014, WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook for $22 billion (in cash & stock). But by 2017 and 2018, things started to look very different… forbes.com/sites/parmyols…
- Replying to @neerajaroraFB approached us again early 2014 with an offer that made it look like a partnership: • Full support for end-to-end encryption • No ads (ever) • Complete independence on product decisions • Board seat for Jan Koum • Our own office in Mountain View • Etc.
- Replying to @neerajaroraWhatsApp was founded in 2009 by Jan Koum and Brian Acton. 2 years in (2011), I joined the team as Chief Business Officer. And in 2012/13, we were approached by Zuck & Facebook about an acquisition. We declined and decided to keep growing instead. But then…
- Somewhere along the way, social media went seriously wrong. • What we post is rarely who we are. • What we see isn't from people we know. • What we talk about online isn't what we talk about in private. Where can we be ourselves? 🧵👇
- Thank you, Jan, Brian and the whole WhatsApp team for a memorable last 7years! It is time. facebook.com/neerajarora/po…
