Putting the Price Tag on Facebook: Quantifying the Value of Online Social Networks

The case puts the reader in the position of a fictional venture capitalist considering an investment in Facebook. As part of the investment decision process, the protagonist analyzes the evolution of online social networks (OSN), the market profile and the various existing business models and valuation approaches. Questions are posed on what valuation methodology should be used to quantify the value of online social networks like Facebook. What assumptions should one use in a financial model and how will this affect the valuation? If one does invest, how and when might an OSN become profitable, and what type of return should an investor expect?

Understanding the dynamics of the Web 2.0; identifying and quantifying online revenue models; understanding and comparing financial evaluation methods for online businesses; executing a customer lifetime valuation.