Why Steve Jobs wouldn't compete with Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg called him his "mentor and friend", and now Steve Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson has revealed that the late Apple co-founder himself was a big 'Zuck' fan.

Isaacson was speaking on stage at an event with Don Graham, CEO of the Washington Post Company and a Facebook board member.

When the topic of Steve Jobs & Mark Zuckerberg came up, Graham talked about the impact Jobs had on Zuckerberg, based on his interactions with the Facebook co-founder. "Jobs meant an enormous amount to the education of Mark," Graham told Isaacson. "Mark will talk about that until the cows come home."

It was when Graham turned to Isaacson, and asked him if Jobs ever mentioned Zuckerberg to him, that the writer made the most compelling revelation of the evening.

"I once asked Jobs who [he] admired in the Valley," Isaacson responded. "Mark's was the first name on his lips."

Isaacson said Jobs admired Zuckerberg for his "intuitive feel" for what Facebook needed next, much like what Jobs had for Apple. He also admired Zuck's passion and willingness "do stuff that allows him to be on shifting sands - his willing(ness) to cannibalise old things. He felt an odd kinship to Mark." Isaacson said.

The author then talked about Ping, Apple's failed attempt to create a social-network of its own, based around music. "Steve never cracked the code on social - maybe a few people in the room remember Ping."

Isaacson then asked Jobs why he didn't try building another social network. Steve Jobs replied "Maybe because Mark did it so well. There's not a need for a whole lot of social networks and Facebook has got it licked."