Chapter 19 Code before the Storm
Jake flipped to a fresh page in his notebook and wrote at the top:
"Project FaceWorld (Working Title)"
He smirked. Facebook would be created in early 2004. Harvard campus first. Then Ivy League. Then the world. But it was still just an idea on a dorm whiteboard right now.
Not anymore, Jake thought.
He didn't need Harvard credentials or college kids to test the waters. He had:
The concept.
The timeline.
The opportunity.
He could launch a global social network with real profile pages, friend connections, photos, messaging—everything Facebook would offer, but with modern hindsight. And if he moved fast enough, Zuckerberg would be the one playing catch-up.
Jake jotted down early feature notes:
Clean profiles with friend links and photos
Simple messaging + "pokes" (or something better)
Event invites, music sharing
Wall posts & public status updates
Ad system groundwork from the start
If I launch by January, I beat them to it, he thought.
He circled the top of the page.
"Deadline: January 2004 – Beat Facebook."
It was late. The beach house was quiet except for the hum of the old desktop computer in Jake's room and the distant crash of waves outside.
Jake sat at the desk, eyes glued to the screen, fingers flying across the keyboard. He'd cleared everything off Charlie's old PC, reformatted it, and set it up from scratch. It wasn't a beast of a machine, but it was enough to get started.
He was building his first version of the future.
He called it FaceWorld. For now.
It was the kind of idea that could change everything: a social platform where people could create profiles, post pictures, message each other, and stay connected—not just with classmates, but with anyone.
Facebook's only months away from becoming real, Jake thought. But if I launch first and get it right… it's game over.
He sketched ideas in a notebook:
Customizable profiles
Friend requests
Private messaging
Status updates
A clean, easy design that didn't look like a blog
Right now, the site was basic—just a few simple pages, a login screen, and the start of a profile layout. But it worked. Sort of. He could log in, add dummy users, and start piecing together the bones of something massive.
Then came the next step: making it real.
He opened a few websites and started researching how to host his creation online. He'd need a real server. Something that could handle traffic. He found a few early hosting companies offering powerful setups—ones built for serious projects.
They were expensive, but not impossible—especially with how fast he was growing his money through trading. If he needed more cash, he could sell off a few positions next week and fund the first few months of server time himself.
I'm not just a kid anymore, Jake thought. I'm a founder.
He saved his work, leaned back in his chair, and glanced out the window.
The world didn't know it yet—but the next big social network was being built from the bedroom of a Malibu beach house.
And it wasn't Zuckerberg at the keyboard.
It was Jake Harper.