DISQUS

Rod Edwards · 3 years ago

Google really seems to be floundering without any strategic focus. Too many diversified agendas in a period of extreme growth with ready access to lots of cash seems like a recipe for debilitating "strategic drift." I mean, come on, instead of rebranding freeware, use some resources to take gmail out of beta.

then again, maybe this is all smokescreen, and google will wow us again.

Stuart MacDonald · 3 years ago

I said my piece over on Mark's blog (which I am not sure how the link to -- the link isn't showing up, but in any case I won't restate it here). Basic gist is that this is all super-dee-duper, but when all is said and done GYM+aol's future share price has everything to do with how well they are positioned to soak up the future wave of re-directed ad spend (which just better show up, too), and this stuff is just noise.

I also agree with Rod's comment above: GOOG is going through what all companies who have had that trajectory go through eventually (I've lived it myself). Massive growth leads to massive hiring, massive success leads to massive expectations, all set against the backdrop of an organization dealing with cultural and organizational maturation. It is tremendously hard to do. Maybe they are avoiding that pain, and if so great, but it's a huge challenge for any organization.

- Stuart

Mathew · 3 years ago

I know what you mean, Rod -- a lot of this stuff seems to be of the
"throw it at the wall and see what sticks" variety. But then maybe
that's natural -- and as Sergey has said before, a lot of Google's
best ideas have come from that approach, so maybe we shouldn't knock
it ;-)

And I guess you're right about it being noise to a large extent, Stuart.
After all, distributing the Google Pack isn't going to matter one way
or the other. And I guess Google is allowed a few missteps along with
the rest. I suppose we all pay so much attention to each one just
because they are such a huge and dominant player, and we expect
everything they do to be a world-changing event.