Imagine if Friendster had bought Facebook…

You might laugh at the thought, but apparently Friendster (remember them?) could have snapped up Facebook for a pittance a few years ago, when it was just another struggling startup. At least, that’s what Bebo co-founder Jim Scheinman says – and since he used to work at Friendster too, he should know.

“A little known fact is that when I was at Friendster, I found a small company out of Harvard that we came very close to acquiring, a startup no one had heard of that time, a company named Thefacebook…”

If it’s true, the current head honchos at Friendster must be biting their desks with regret, given that Facebook is The Big Web Thing of 2007, and Friendster… isn’t. But what I wonder is why the hell didn’t they buy Facebook when they had the chance? Even though it was considerably less slick and focused on college students in those days, you’d think the potential would’ve been clear. But then hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Jim Scheinman interview (via Valleywag)

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