New book "Think Like Zuck" makes bestseller list

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- He is the world's second-youngest billionaire. We're talking about Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. And enough people are asking how he did it, that a new book about him has just become a Wall Street Journal bestseller.

Ekaterina Walter is no stranger to social media. As a marketing strategist at Intel, she's worked with Facebook for years. And now, she's written a book about its chief executive called, "Think Like Zuck."

When asked if Zuckerberg is a complex guy, Walter answered, "I don't think so. I think he is a guy who loves to be around his friends. That's why he builds every product he builds in his history is social. Um, but I think he's misunderstood."

While some got their first taste of Zuck from the movie, "The Social Network," Zuckerberg never cared for the film. And Walter agrees it's not that accurate.

"I think "The Social Network" as a movie didn't get his character, his character as a person and his character as a leader," Walter said.

As a leader is the focus of her book -- a how-to for entrepreneurs who look up to Zuckerberg. Zuck had his own idols; Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, among them.

Walter says the Facebook CEO borrowed Jobs' unusual hiring technique -- taking candidates on a hike.

"Versus meeting in the board room, let's meet in the woods," Walter said. "And it works very well for him, I believe."

Zuckerberg also learned from Jobs' mistakes -- Jobs was forced out of Apple in the 90's. But when Facebook went public, Zuckerberg kept a controlling share so he can't be fired, despite concern over the latest earnings report.

"Investors are a little bit freaked out by the fact that the spending was way higher than it was," Walters said.

The roll-out of Facebook's new graph search and mobile advertisements are costing money. But Walter's confident Zuckerberg knows they'll ultimately bring in a lot of cash.

He may be a hacker at heart, but he's surrounded himself with a business savvy team; like Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, who Walter says is good at everything Zuckerberg isn't.

"He admits his shortcomings," Walters said. "Very big, I think, in a leadership role."

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facebook, mark zuckerberg, apple, steve jobs, microsoft, bill gates, books, social media, technology, jonathan bloom

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