Drugs, sex and social media start-ups. That’s the lifestyle some emerging entrepreneurs fear people will associate with their trade after watching the Facebook movie, “The Social Network,” this weekend.
“For people who are not in the loop and not following tech news, it could be a little more seductive,” said MIT junior Andrew Sutherland, who started Quizlet.com.
“The movie makes (Mark Zuckerberg) look more like … he’s doing it more for the girls, money and fame.”
“The Social Network” is based on the book, “The Accidental Billionaires.”
Bill Aulet, who heads MIT’s Entrepreneurship Center, has read the book and said the movie could motivate future innovators, but he worries it will glamorize the field like the celebrity chef phenomenon.
“It’s not an equation or problem set that can be solved and you win,” he said. “It’s much more complicated and you will make the wrong decision 20 percent of the time.”
Nevertheless, social media innovators couldn’t be more excited about Friday’s premiere. “If anything, the movie symbolizes the bleeding of tech and pop culture in ways we haven’t see before,” said Amanda Peyton, 36, an MIT MBA who runs MessageParty.com.
“People gloss over how difficult it is to start a company. Perhaps it will shed some light on that.”
