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"So much is about to change for you, Facebook. Don\u2019t be afraid, the transformation you\u2019re about to experience is natural. Or at least natural for any private company undergoing the biggest tech IPO in history.\nYet, as you undergo this perfectly normal maturation, something that, to be honest, we\u2019ve been waiting for for a long time (no, we didn\u2019t want to rush you, but it was getting to be quite obvious to everyone that it was time), it\u2019s important to remember who you are and what it means to be a full-grown public company with countless stock holders and the SEC breathing down your neck.\nThings like this can confuse and scare you. It can change you in unintended ways. I\u2019m here to remind you: Don\u2019t let it.  Always remember:\n\r\n1. Don\u2019t Forget Who Got You Here\r\n\n\nRemember the early days? When Mark Zuckerberg, a young Harvard college student, dreamed you up in a dorm room? He was probably mostly interested in meeting girls, but ended up creating the most important social platform of our time. Even so, in 2004, you were still just this tiny little private network with hundreds, not hundreds of millions, of users. And you were closed, not yet worldly, or, at least, open to the world. I remember what it was like before you let everyone in and when you finally opened \u201CThe Facebook\u201D to people outside of college. One, it was adorable the way you called yourself \u201CThe Facebook\u201D. Two, I was so proud of you when you realized that you could handle users who were not just like Mark Zuckerberg. \nNow, as you prepare to get, perhaps, bigger and more powerful than ever, I want you to remember those first years and the members who made Facebook what it is today. You are nothing without them.\n\r\n2. Dream Big\r\n\n\nFacebook, you have accomplished a lot in your short time here on earth: You\u2019ve helped hundreds of millions of people reconnect and then stay connected (whether they want to or not). You\u2019ve let them chat with and poke each other. You\u2019ve built a platform where they can watch movies together or surreptitiously track what their friends are reading, watching and reading. You\u2019ve introduced time-wasting social games to people who never even played a console game before. \nDespite all that, I think you\u2019re just getting started. Starting this week, your pockets will be bursting with cash. That\u2019s money to make magic happen for you and your users. There are so many things you can do with it, but be wise. With big dreams comes big responsibility.\n\r\n3. Make Good Choices\r\n\n\nI\u2019m still not sure I agree with you paying $1 billion for Instagram. It\u2019s a great photo sharing service, but the math doesn\u2019t really add up. Perhaps you were a bit impulsive. That\u2019s OK. Of course, it\u2019s not something you can do with all those investors watching. If you want to spend that money on something useful, buy yourself a really good search engine. I can\u2019t find a thing in you, Facebook!\nYou will also face new pressures in this adult world, Facebook. Investors will demand dividends and a healthy bottom line. Advertising is the key, but not the cudgel. I know, I know Facebook, the breakup with GM was tough and came at exactly the wrong time, but trust me, there will be other advertisers. Good ones that see your potential and realize amazing results from your nearly 1 billion members. However, do not let those advertisers steer you. They are partners, not parents. Make sure that what they offer is something your members truly want. If you make the wrong choices here, Facebook, your members will pay for it and, ultimately, so will you.\n\nSEE ALSO: The Facebook IPO Timeline\n\r\n4. Be a Good Communicator\r\n\n\nYou weren\u2019t always good at this Facebook, but in recent years I\u2019ve noticed a welcome change: You\u2019re growing up and getting ahead of your problems by talking to users before these issues get out of hand. You\u2019ve stopped letting Zuckerberg write unfiltered posts and managed your message. This is the sign of a true adult. Don't let fear of what investors and the world will say change that. Now that you\u2019re public (and crazy rich) it\u2019s more important than ever to maintain transparency. Facebook, you cannot survive without it.\n\r\n5. Laugh\r\n\n\nFacebook, you will make mistakes. You\u2019ll mess up in big and small ways, but you have to maintain a sense of humor. Be ready to laugh at your missteps and help the organization and your users move on. If you shut down when bad things happen, they will only get worse. Lighten the mood when things go wrong. And when things go right, maintain that sense of playfulness (Your ex-friend Google is expert at this). If I\u2019m being honest here, Facebook, we have been worried about you. You\u2019ve been a bit closed off and humorless lately. Maybe it\u2019s the stress of this IPO or it\u2019s how you think you need to grow up. Let me tell you, Facebook, laughing is one of the few things that makes life worth living.\n\r\n6. Respect Others\r\n\n\nNow comes the tough part of our conversation. Remember that time you got in trouble with the law? Well, how can you forget? It\u2019s on your permanent record and the FTC is still watching you because of it. I want you to listen to me: You\u2019re a public company now with almost 1 billion users; you cannot mess this up. You must have the privacy and security of your users at the top of every single list. No action should happen without checking off those two boxes first. It is, Facebook, a sign of maturity and respect. I know you think that privacy is an old man\u2019s game, but you have many people in your network who believe there is no more important game. Don\u2019t fight it. Accept it and use your money and power for good. Always show respect.\n\r\n7. Avoid Mediocrity\r\n\n\nYou, Facebook are by no means the first to go public, nor will you be the last. Some who have gone before you have put on adult pants, a button-down shirt and blazer and walked away forever from their hoodies and more fanciful youth. They took their money and, yes, grew, but also allowed themselves to slip into complacent mediocrity. Facebook, this is not the path we want for you. You are so much more than this. Take this opportunity and do great and unexpected things. \nToday, Facebook, you are a public company. Now accept this pen as a gift and go make us all proud.\n\n\n\n\n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2012/05/17/dear-facebook-ipo/>