33 Million People in the Room: How to Create, Influence, and Run a Successful Business with Social Networking

Chapter 1 The Power Of Social Networks

Twelve minutes and forty-eight seconds would determine whether the entire franchise would make it or go bust. For Chris Anderson, it felt a little like walking into the lion’s den.

In February 2002, a collective of the world’s top movers and shakers sat in the front row of the auditorium: Jeffrey Katzenberg, Quincy Jones, Art Buchwald, and Frank Gehry. A bevy of other noteworthy luminaries stirred in their seats with a mix of curiosity and anticipation as they awaited the opening address from Anderson, TED’s new vanguard.

For 12 years, the Monterey Convention Center had been home to TED, the world-renowned conference known as a critical incubating cradle for developments ranging from the Macintosh ...