09/07/2025
PLANNING IS KEY
Mark Zuckerberg sketched a 10-year plan in 2016. In 2025, almost everything came true.
Most people think Zuckerberg got lucky with Facebook. They're wrong. The guy is a long-term ex*****on machine, and he just proved it.
Here's what he promised in 2016:
At the F8 Developers Conference, Zuckerberg unveiled Meta's 10-year roadmap focused on three things:
☑ Connectivity
☑ Artificial Intelligence
☑ Virtual and Augmented Reality
It wasn't just corporate buzzwords. It was a blueprint he actually followed.
1. Connectivity: Bringing the world online
The promise: "Connect the next billion people using satellites, drones, and free basic internet."
What happened:
→ Internet.org launched Free Basics in 65+ countries
→ Aquila solar-powered drone project tested aerial internet delivery
→ Meta powered global telecom infrastructure through partnerships
Result: Over 3.5 billion people now use Meta apps globally. Facebook became the digital front door to the internet for billions.
AI: Making machines understand the world
The promise: "Build AI that sees, listens, and understands to power assistants, safety systems, and content discovery."
What happened:
→ FAIR (Facebook AI Research) exploded in scale
→ LLaMA 2 and 3 became top open-source LLMs
→ Meta's AI generates billions of images daily through Instagram filters and ads
→ 2024-25: Formed Superintelligence Team, poached researchers from OpenAI and Google
→ $65 billion AI budget in 2025 - highest in tech
Result: Meta turned AI from infrastructure into product. Now building AGI under Alexandr Wang.
AR/VR: Making the metaverse real
The promise: "Create the most immersive experiences with VR & AR - from gaming to work to presence."
What happened:
→ Acquired Oculus, shipped millions of headsets
→ Launched Horizon Worlds, Meta Quest, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses
→ 2021: Rebranded from Facebook to Meta
→ 2023: Shipped Quest 3 with full passthrough AR
→ 2025: AI avatars + AI agents inside the metaverse
Result: Zuckerberg turned a buzzword into an ecosystem. Meta owns the VR/AR stack.
Platforms: Own the attention graph
What happened:
→ Instagram Stories + Reels beat Snapchat and competed with TikTok
→ WhatsApp grew to 2B+ users
→ Messenger + IG DMs merged into unified messaging
→ Added Threads + AI chat in 2023-25
Result: Meta dominates digital communication in almost every region outside China.
Most tech companies pivot every 2 years. Zuck held to a 10-year plan through privacy backlash, TikTok pressure, and VR skepticism.
This wasn't luck or market timing.
It was a blueprint followed with discipline.
2016 was vision. 2025 is ex*****on. Meta is what happens when you play the long game in public.
While everyone else was chasing the next shiny object, Zuckerberg just kept building toward the future he sketched nine years ago.
And now we’re all living in it.
Anik Singal
