Eduardo Recalls Facebook's Launch, Explained

What happens

In the deposition, Eduardo is asked what happened after Facebook launched and answers in a word: it exploded. The whole campus was using it, and within two weeks the site's name had turned into a verb. A campus scene shows that in practice, with students saying "Facebook me."

What's really going on

The scene's real subject is a word becoming a verb. Eduardo's testimony is almost offhand — "It exploded," "Everybody on campus was using it" — but the details are the point: a product is not big until its name turns into everyday speech. "Facebook me" is the proof, and it appears twice, once as reported testimony and once spoken by students in the moment. The film keeps cutting between the deposition and the campus, so success is measured by language rather than revenue. It is a quiet way of showing that the thing has already changed how people talk to each other.

Key lines & what they mean

“"Facebook me" was a common expression after two weeks.”

A measure of success: the product's name has become ordinary speech, used as a verb without explanation.

“"Look, it's gonna happen without us. We've gotta start now."”

The line from the other story being told, insisting that change will come whether or not they act.

“Now, most of you think you know the rest of the story, but you may not.”

A narrator's tease before the familiar tale, promising a less-known version of events.

“Everybody on campus was using it.”

The plain description of a takeover: not a niche audience, but an entire campus at once.

Theme

• Ambition — Facebook's rise is told through one word — it exploded — showing how fast the founders' ambition spread.
• Identity — The product becomes part of everyday speech, as its name turns into a verb students use casually.