How do people like Facebook, make their websites so good?

[Fredmaster]

I'm not too familiar with how Facebook works, but if you're a big website like Facebook, and own the web servers and can write the actual web server software yourself, you can add significant server-side technology capabilities that wouldn't be available in generic web server scripting languages.

[Ratchetr]

$$$$$$$$$

See my answer to the question below. It's the answer that starts with "Your coding skills have nothing to do with your success or failure."

Once you have the skills to go out and raise $37.7 million, then it isn't just your programming skills anymore. You can hire a whole team of really skilled, intelligent programmers with that kind of money. Put enough of those people together in one place, focused on a common goal, then, yeah....they're gonna produce stuff that is way beyond what you or I might do as a stand alone coder.