Chapter 20 – Faster, Smarter, Better
Jake's fingers moved across the keyboard like they had a mind of their own.
It was past midnight, but he barely noticed. He was in the zone—eyes sharp, brain firing on all cylinders. Within hours, he had done what it had taken college students weeks to figure out: he created a working social platform that was already more advanced than the version Facebook would launch with in early 2004.
It had clean profile pages with space for photos, a bio, and school information. Friend requests. A simple but fast private messaging system. Status updates. And unlike the early version of Facebook, which was exclusive to Harvard, Jake's was built to scale from day one.
He didn't just want to connect students. He wanted to connect everyone.
Every line of logic, every design choice, every tiny interaction was deliberate. Cleaner than Zuckerberg's version. Smoother. Better.
He added a global search bar. Easy profile editing. The ability to tag friends in posts—even a feature to "follow" people you weren't friends with, something that wouldn't appear on Facebook or Twitter for years.
I already know where they'll go wrong, Jake thought. So I'll go right.
At some point, Charlie wandered past the door in boxers and a robe, half-asleep. He looked in, blinked at the sight of Jake working, and mumbled, "You hacking the Pentagon or something?"
Jake didn't even look up. "Just building something.
Charlie grunted. "Cool.
Jake smirked but kept typing.
By dawn, he had a sleek, working prototype.
It wasn't perfect—but it didn't have to be.
What mattered was that it worked. It looked modern. And most importantly, it was his.
He leaned back in the chair as the early Malibu sunlight filtered through the blinds.
The original Facebook didn't even have photo uploads at first, Jake thought. Mine has that on day one.
He stared at the screen.
A blank news feed.
A glowing "Create Account" button.
And a simple name at the top:
FaceWorld.
Jake smiled.
Let's see Zuck top this.
Jake didn't remember falling asleep.
One moment, he was deep in his own world—laying out profile pages, polishing the flow between friend requests and messages. The next, he woke up in the living room, face half-pressed against the keyboard, stiff as a board.
The screen still glowed softly with the early design of FaceWorld—Jake's not-yet-online prototype for the next revolution in human connection. It wasn't hosted anywhere. It wasn't public. Just code and ambition on Charlie's outdated PC.
He rubbed his face, blinked, and caught the scent of something unmistakable—bacon. Strong coffee. Fried eggs. Something heavy cooking in a skillet.
Jake stood, cracked his back, and shuffled toward the kitchen.
There she was.
Berta.
Broad-shouldered. Hair tied back. Cigarette tucked behind one ear. And an apron with a mystery stain she probably earned during the Reagan administration.
She didn't even look up.
"So… you're the one who's been glued to that computer all night," she said, poking at the bacon with a fork like it owed her rent.
Jake blinked. "Uh… yeah. That's me."
She finally turned and gave him a once-over. "Hmph. Thought you were playing games. Then I saw the mess of papers, notes, and computer mumbo jumbo. You building a bomb in there?"
Jake grinned. "No. Just a website."
She gave him a blank look. "A what?"
"A website," Jake repeated. "Something people will be able to use online… to connect with each other."
Berta squinted. "Like email?"
"Kind of," Jake said. "But more public. Profiles, pictures, messages… people can share their lives. Find old friends. Meet new ones."
Berta gave a short laugh. "You're ten. What friends are you trying to reconnect with, your preschool class?"
Jake shrugged. "It's not just for me. It's for everyone. I'm building something big."
She stared at him for a second, then slid a plate of eggs and bacon across the counter.
"Well, alright then, Mr. Big Ideas," she said.
"Fuel up. World domination's easier on a full stomach."
Jake sat down and grinned. "Thanks."
Berta turned back to the stove and muttered, "Whole house full of weirdos."