Even Mark Zuckerberg’s Hoodie Has Influence

Mark Zuckerberg is facing some of the sternest criticism he has ever faced in the press at the moment. Is it still from the Winklevoss twins after a share of the Facebook pie? Is it the Facebook hoards tired of yet another change to the free social media service they use on a daily basis? Maybe it is from Google who is still trying desperately to chip away at the Facebook market share. Or could it be the IPO that could potentially break all kinds of records this year when it finally launches? No, actually it’s not even about Mark Zuckerberg, it is in fact about his hoodie!

Yes, believe it or not, Mark Zuckerberg’s hoodie is what has the press in a fluster. Michael Pachter, an analyst for Wedbush Securities, called Mark Zuckerberg immature and unable to deal with investors. It seems that Michael Pachter is not alone since the New Zealand Herald also pitched in by calling Mark Zuckerberg immature, while recalling a less-than-serious pitch to investors Sequoia Capital where he was wearing pajamas. The list goes on with articles in the New York Times, PCMag, CNN, Yahoo news and more! Has the world gone mad?

Let’s be clear, we are talking about a young man who has built one of the fastest most successful companies in our recent history. He has continuously baffled critics by increasing Facebook’s user numbers whilst increasing on site activity, and he bought out Instagram which has increased the demographic target of his organization since the average age of an Instagram user is between 18 and 34, which will potentially provide the Facebook users of the future. He did this whilst stopping Google+ from acquiring Instagram, which could have led millions of users into the Google+ social media community. So what is all the fuss about?

Steve Jobs was a genius and even he faced comments, if not ridicule, about his appearance. Did it bother him? No. Did it change his single-minded focus on creating some of the most groundbreaking products we have today? No, and more than likely, these kind of comments will not deter Mark Zuckerberg and more importantly will not deter the millions of investors lining up to buy a stake in one of the most profitable companies of today. I personally think this is another outdated stereotype that some people cannot come to terms with. So the question I have today is, does it really matter what you wear?

I have had the good fortune of working with a wide variety of creative people in the advertising world. The kind of daily work wear ranges from full on evening suits with a bow ties to someone who looked like they should be by the swimming pool. What mattered most was that they were comfortable wearing what they chose so they could create the best work. I believe this is where Mark Zuckerberg is coming from and good luck to him. Will some investors be put off by this appearance? Maybe, but will it really matter in the long run when the Facebook IPO finally hits the streets? That remains to be seen. You have to be doing something right though if the only thing people can criticize is your clothes. What are your thoughts?

Image Credits: [Bingham Young University News] [The Vancouver Sun] [International Business Times]