Google worried? Doubt it.
I saw something more than a little scary last week at Google (GOOG): A calm, confident, friendly management team that seemed more comfortable in its own skin than I’ve ever seen them.
For the first time, Google invited a handful of journalists to its annual Zeitgeist conference for advertising partners. Afterwards, Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt held an on-the-record chat with us over sandwiches. They talked about their interest in wireless spectrum. They fretted that their biggest challenge (still) is managing their growth. They even showed their sense of humor. When I noted the unusual stability of the top executives beneath the ruling troika (as a prelude to asking if that stability would continue), Page quipped, “Emotionally or physically?” More seriously, he predicted continued stability and suggested a leadership training program is helping. (The word is that many of Google’s “economic volunteers,” a term that’s actually used within the company, will be retiring soon and that turmoil will hurt.)
The arrogance remains, of course. Schmidt held forth on how much the company is doing to address the concerns that caused Viacom (VIA) to take Google to court over YouTube’s policies regarding content it doesn’t own. He said filtering technology is in “various stages of rollout,” as if that were good enough. He said Viacom “rushed” into litigation. He obviously has the luxury of knowing the suit has done nothing to blunt YouTube’s advance.
On the subject of social networking, and Facebook in particular, they made it very clear just how interested Google is in getting into the game in a more meaningful way than its Orkut service. (Read my colleague Josh Quittner for a contrary view on how much Facebook worries Google.)
Bottom line: From my perch, these guys were cool as cucumbers. Genuinely relaxed, engaged and at the top of their game.
By the way, Google reports earnings Thursday. The company’s worth $200 billion. And its founders give off the vibe that they’re just getting going. As I’ve written in the past, Google’s management isn’t perfect. Its previous quarter was sloppy. My gut tells me this one won’t be.
reading about Google loving only the young and temporary people is not cool to say the old is not included. I think they had better grow up even if the company is doing well it seems as the ones talking has never had a fall. Lets see the books and speak with maturity and not so much about how they do not want older people. To say older people do not fit in this company is an insult to many of the people that have the money to buy your shares. The higher headed you get the harder the fall.
A retiree of 30 years and had a great ride with the company and left with a real fulfillment and many friends. I think the ones that have a mindset of just all about money has lost their selves in their own web. I wish you well in your company, but, your attitude towards the older people stinks and is an insult. Yes it takes hard work to make a good company but, sounds as those who is making the company has no future with Google.
“Google has been built on the back of it’s employees, and has consumed 2 of their most precious resources: Time and Energy.”
Who cares?
The older employees can go and work for boring and stable companies like Microsoft. Google is for young, fresh, and creative minds. Older employees run out of ideas and get frustrated by rapid change.
I like the fact that Google runs through employees fast. More companies need to start doing this. The young people want to work hard and get perks. The old workers want “work-life” balance and extragavant benefits. The older workers will eventually leave Google, work for some company where things never change, and they will then regret leaving the Googleplex.
There are always young grads who are looking for excitement and challenge. If they don’t come from the U.S., they will come from overseas. They will work very hard for Google and make the company grow even more. It is better to replace an old worker with a younger and more malleable worker. Old people are predictable but not creative enough for a company like Google.
I live in San Francisco, and I see Google employees all around me on a daily basis. Many Google employees (20 and 30-somethings), live in SF and commute down to Mountain View Googleplex, on one of luxury Google “buses”. Their commute is 1-1.5 hours each way (translation: 15 hours per week just getting there). They start working as soon as they get on the bus, because their is Wi-Fi connection. I have heard from many of them that they love the smart group of people they work with and the culture overall, but that they end up working in some way or another about 60-72 hours per week, sometimes more (Esp. adding in teh commute time). Many of them say that even Google will only remain fun for so long. More so than any other company in the Bay Area, Google has been built on the back of it’s employees, and has consumed 2 of their most precious resources: Time and Energy. Many of them see it as a short-term (2-3 year) gig. I for one, will never trade my 45 hour work week, stability and 20 minute commute (I both live and work in the city of San Francisco). Google will also need to start curbing it’s spending: gourmet meals, expensive luxury commuter buses to bring in the young talent who DO NOT want to live in boring Mountain View, and all the other perks. Regardless of how much money they are making, shareholders want a maturing company to eventually contain costs and start paying dividends. Google will need to grow up fast…whether they want to or not.
Google owns a Lions share of internet market. Google is very close at peaking its market share, if they are not there already. The problem is once you are on peak the only way left is downward.
Who will control the internet in future is still unknown. No one can even say that it will be one of the existing companies or a new start up not even born yet!!
For the time being, keep googling.
Could the calmness have something to do with the fact that the top 3 have already cashed out a billion dollars of stock? Come on guys, we need a little more data-driven journalism here — start covering the heavy attrition at Google with some real numbers, start looking into the accounting and financial control issues, etc, etc. Having a subjective chat can’t be counted as journalism.
- Deregulations is the reason for the d... More
- I have dreams of doing that one day..... More
- Hey and now yahoo has infuriated many... More
- your so dead on!!!! Living within one... More
- Dude they want to have autonomy. Isn'... More
- I've met with dozens of Yahoo top exe... More
- Good comedy routine on the same. Com... More
- not surprising about Kleiner Perkins... More
- How about a discussion to put in a ta... More
- Dell's problems will not be solved un... More
Wall Street watchers think of capital markets and financial players out west as being on the "other" coast. That's not how it's viewed in the Pacific time zone. From the venture capitalists of Sand Hill Road to the bond kingpins of Orange County to the corporate finance department at a certain software company in Redmond, Wash., there's plenty going on "out there." Adam Lashinsky should know. A native of Chicago, he has covered West Coast finance for a decade, with an emphasis on money matters in Silicon Valley. If it involves money and it's happening west of the Mississippi, look for it in Go West. 
“The higher headed you get the harder the fall.”
That’s an old myth.
The higher headed you are, the more money you can make. Those who worry about falling never become successful in life because they are too scared. It is about taking calculated risks in life. Falling only leads to long term growth in the future. If you know how to make money, losing a little here and there will not make a difference.
I would definitely not advice anyone who is scared to invest in or work for Google. Google is a growing company and those that are scared will only blame others and point fingers at the slightest sign of instability. Those cowardly older workers and scared younger workers should invest in and work for companies with the priorities of mindless conformity, spineless stability, and joyless predictability.
Getting rich in a hurry is not for everyone. The money can become burdensome and frightening. But people like me have to bear that burden and face those fears head on. Those who are scared should sit back and be happy with the crumbs they get. Leave the cake for the big dogs.