Facebook | Paper

I wrote largely about how “size matters” and took the extremely optimistic view that Facebook has a lot more growth left yet. In the scenario I described, the late majority and laggards are still waiting on the sidelines and “Paper” could be an attempt to create a mainstream app for content consumption that has universal appeal.
Having said that, Internet companies face different challenges to those that were faced by companies like Microsoft. Even though many people despise Microsoft OS and applications, they continue to be a cash cow behemoth year in year out. Microsoft OS and applications are simply too disruptive to dislodge at this point in time, despite efforts from the likes of Google. However, there are several examples of pure play Internet firms like AOL and MySpace that are but shadows of their former selves. This could potentially happen to Facebook — billion users or no — if some new entrant steals the limelight, gains traction and wins the affection of the masses, aka doing what Facebook did. Facebook needs “sticky” tools that engage readers and become their favorite methods for everyday tasks like content consumption. The more tools like Paper they have, the more likely they are to hold their commanding position and grow further.
P.S. I think they should have called the app Facebook | Stories…”paper” is so, well, ‘flat” :)