The Story Behind the Tiny Button That Quietly Took Over the Internet
Insights from "Like: The Button That Changed the World" -- by Martin Reeves and Bob Goodson
This book isn’t just about a button—it’s a compelling journey through the messy process of innovation and a must-read for anyone curious about the hidden stories behind the things we click every day. - Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter
What if one of the most profound innovations in the digital age wasn’t a breakthrough in artificial intelligence or a quantum leap in computing—but a humble icon triggering engagement with users?
That’s the premise behind Like: The Button That Changed the World, a riveting, multi-sided narrative by Martin Reeves and Bob Goodson. I had the opportunity to get an early copy and sit down with Martin to discuss the book. Our conversation peeled back the story behind the now-ubiquitous Like button—a journey of innovation, serendipity, culture, and business reinvention.
And yes, it all started with a sketch in a dusty old journal.
A Button Born from Need
Contrary to the tidy myth of lone inventors having “aha” moments, the Like button was never the output of a single flash of genius. Instead, it was the unintended consequence of product designers and engineers solving immediate, tactical business problems during what Reeves calls the “nuclear winter” of Silicon Valley, 2004 & 2005 —a time when money was tight and tech optimism even tighter.
In that environment, small bets were all anyone could afford. Yet one of those small, tactical experiments—designed simply to reduce friction and increase engagement—ended up catalyzing a global shift.
Innovation Is a Shaggy Dog Story
Martin and Bob didn’t intend to write a traditional business book. Reeves pitched it as an “interesting book about business” rather than a business book. No matrices. No buzzwords. Just a captivating story that reads more like a Silicon Valley detective story.
What emerged is a powerful message: innovation is messy, nonlinear, and deeply social. The Like button wasn’t created by a lone genius, but by a team riffing off each other’s experiments. “It’s a bit like a shaggy dog story,” Reeves said. “The noise is the point.”
The Thumb Heard Round the World
Once the Like button gained traction, its implications became seismic. For the first time, advertisers had a scalable, real-time signal of emotional engagement.
“Well, now you, and if you remember back to the days set top TV boxes that the, the state of the art in advertising was this. You could actually tell whether the TV set was on and which channel it was tuned to, but you couldn't tell if anyone was watching it or whether they loved what they were watching or whether they hated what they were watching.
That was about as good as feedback got. You couldn't really say if people liked something. The set top boxes didn't get the people in the room. But with a Like button, you could, you have this little feedback signal that says, I love that content.
It was feedback for the first time in the advertising industry” Reeves explained.
This tiny icon opened the floodgates for data-driven advertising, viral content curation, and ultimately, the algorithmic machinery that shapes what billions of people see every day.
The Biology Behind the Click
Reeves, a former biologist turned business strategist, brings a unique lens to the story. The book dives into the neurochemical reactions triggered by digital praise. Dopamine hits from likes are no accident—they’re baked into our evolutionary craving for social validation.
The Like button exploits deeply rooted tribal instincts. Primates, after all, use social gestures—like grooming or showing thumbs—as signals of approval and alliance. Our digital behavior is just an ancient instinct dressed in pixels.
Who Really Invented It?
Here’s the twist: no one person can claim credit for inventing the Like button.
During our interview, Reeves recounted opening one of Bob Goodson’s old sketchbooks and finding a dated drawing of a thumbs-up icon—years before Facebook deployed it. But Goodson quickly deflected: “I didn’t invent it. Or maybe I did?”
This blurry line of authorship reflects the book’s central theme: breakthrough ideas emerge from networks, not individuals. That’s a hallmark of many Big Bets—what starts as a fragment becomes transformative when enough people converge around the same outcome, often without knowing it.
Lessons for Leaders
So what does the rise of the Like button teach us about leadership and strategy?
For one, clarity of mission matters—but so does opportunistic flexibility. Reeves calls it “the right level of instrumentalism.” The Like button’s creators didn’t set out to redefine advertising or rewire attention economies. They just solved a real user friction and key business challenge—and followed where the results led.
The book also reinforces the power of framing. Innovation accelerates when teams recognize the real problem to be solved. For Yelp, that meant addressing weak user contribution; for others, it meant eliminating page refreshes. Once the problem was framed correctly, a cascade of interlocking innovations followed.
Ultimately, Like is a tribute to serendipity and problem solving. Reeves and Goodson argue that the biggest ideas often sprout from overlooked details, accidents, and delays. The Like button didn’t emerge from a strategy offsite—it grew from scribbles, shortfalls, emails and late night conversations.
Final Thought: Making the Familiar Strange
At one point, Reeves shared a phrase from his editor that became their creative north star: “Make the familiar strange.” That’s exactly what Like accomplishes. It transforms something we use every day—without a second thought—into a portal for understanding technology, culture, economics, and ourselves.
So the next time you tap that little thumbs-up, consider this: you’re not just endorsing a post. You’re participating in one of the most accidental, consequential—and yes, serendipitous—Big Bets in modern history.
And for that, there’s only one thing left to say:
👍
Grab your copy of Like: The Button That Changed the World today!
Martin Reeves is Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, BCG’s think tank for developing new ideas in business. He is coauthor of Your Strategy Needs a Strategy and The Imagination Machine. Reeves also shares his ideas and research on business strategy and innovation in articles, podcasts, speeches and other outlets.
About The Digital Leader Newsletter
This is a newsletter for change agents, strategists, and innovators. The Digital Leader Newsletter is a weekly coaching session focusing on customer-centricity, innovation, and strategy. We deliver practical theory, examples, tools, and techniques to help you build better strategies, better plans, and better solutions — but most of all, to think and communicate better.
John Rossman is a keynote speaker and advisor on leadership and innovation. Learn more at www.bookjohnrossman.com