Sarah Lacy Interviews Mark Zuckerberg at the 2008 SXSWi, Gets Heckled, Ends Up the Winner

Who Says Geeks Don't Have Any Fun?

A quick who's who
Business Week reporter Sarah Lacy's interview with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg went from bad to worse during the keynote for the 2008 SXSWi (South by Southwest Interactive) four day technology meet-up and drool fest for hardcore techies. The choice of Sarah Lacy as interviewer was not a surprise, given her acumen for the technology beat and her unique ability to make even the driest subject matter, well, palatable to those not engrossed in the world of Beacon advertising systems.

Mark Zuckerberg is the 23-year-young founder of Facebook and has been hailed as the youngest billionaire, according to Forbes Magazine. His throne began to crumble when the Beacon advertising system was found to be a threat to online privacy and the origins of Facebook inspired lawsuits suggesting misappropriation of trade secrets and rumors of good old-fashioned idea theft.

Recap
When Ms. Lacy and Mr. Zuckerberg met up on stage in what appeared to be a sit-down style interview with a distinct effort made to create the effect of a laid back atmosphere - a trademark of Ms. Lacy - it was more a matter of oil and water meeting up and the audience doing its level best to agitate. One wonders what possessed Mr. Zuckerberg to embark on this interview as though summoned to report in front of Congress, but before long the crowd turned on Sarah Lacy and egged on by Mark Zuckerberg's one-liners heckled the journalist and danced on their seats - literally.

For a play by play, check out ValleyWag and be amazed. Clips of the odder portions are also available.

If she could do it all over again...a few suggestions
Do not misunderstand, Sarah Lacy is a seasoned reporter on the tech beat and most certainly does not need advice from me! At the same time, as an onlooker who is making a business out of reading crowds and their propensity for mob rule and sound bite allegiance, let it be said that there might be a few ideas on how Ms. Lacy could have fared better with Mr. Zuckerberg and the audience. Here are five tips for how to better conduct an interview of this magnitude without getting ripped to shreds.