Comments on: Can Mere Mortals Really Learn Anything from Google right now? http://www.kipbot.com/blog/2008/04/02/can-mere-mortals-really-learn-anything-from-google-right-now/ apophenic pretentia Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:14:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.11 by: kip/bot/blog » One second thought on HBR Google article http://www.kipbot.com/blog/2008/04/02/can-mere-mortals-really-learn-anything-from-google-right-now/#comment-935 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:38:12 +0000 http://www.kipbot.com/blog/2008/04/02/can-mere-mortals-really-learn-anything-from-google-right-now/#comment-935 [...] I blogged an HBR article a while back, questioning, among other things, how innovative Google really is.  Some news stories today, highlight some overlooked areas where Google is doing some interesting, potentially innovative things: [...] […] I blogged an HBR article a while back, questioning, among other things, how innovative Google really is.  Some news stories today, highlight some overlooked areas where Google is doing some interesting, potentially innovative things: […]

]]> by: kipbot http://www.kipbot.com/blog/2008/04/02/can-mere-mortals-really-learn-anything-from-google-right-now/#comment-540 Sat, 05 Apr 2008 12:09:22 +0000 http://www.kipbot.com/blog/2008/04/02/can-mere-mortals-really-learn-anything-from-google-right-now/#comment-540 That's smart. In fact, it's smarter than the article. It's absolutely right to point out that Google made incredible leaps in AdSense by way of developing Gmail. (The podcast/blog <em>iinovate</em> has an <a href="http://iinnovate.blogspot.com/2007/08/marissa-mayer-vp-of-search-products-and.html" rel="nofollow">interview </h>with Marissa Myer describing that dynamic.) My focusing on the public side of software like gmail or greader obscures that dynamic. But most people and <em>HBR</em> aren't seeing that. They see Google as the creator of a wide range of market-proven products. Gmail, greader, earth, bookmarks, documents are being treated as successful products and compared to MSFT's creation of Word, Excel, Access, SQL Server, etc. You and I are talking about gmail and greader now more as live research labs than as actual products. Very few companies, if any, have the resources to develop, launch, and support a product whose primary value is R&D. That’s smart. In fact, it’s smarter than the article. It’s absolutely right to point out that Google made incredible leaps in AdSense by way of developing Gmail. (The podcast/blog iinovate has an interview with Marissa Myer describing that dynamic.) My focusing on the public side of software like gmail or greader obscures that dynamic.

But most people and HBR aren’t seeing that. They see Google as the creator of a wide range of market-proven products. Gmail, greader, earth, bookmarks, documents are being treated as successful products and compared to MSFT’s creation of Word, Excel, Access, SQL Server, etc. You and I are talking about gmail and greader now more as live research labs than as actual products. Very few companies, if any, have the resources to develop, launch, and support a product whose primary value is R&D.

]]> by: Stan Wiechers http://www.kipbot.com/blog/2008/04/02/can-mere-mortals-really-learn-anything-from-google-right-now/#comment-486 Sat, 05 Apr 2008 04:07:30 +0000 http://www.kipbot.com/blog/2008/04/02/can-mere-mortals-really-learn-anything-from-google-right-now/#comment-486 Interesting perspective kip. I would like to counter: Google makes money being in the advertising business through AdSense. AdSense relies big part on the technology developed for Search. Just taking the public part of innovation like gmail or greader leaves out the innovation that remains invisible: algorithm improvements, infrastructure ideas, new management approaches, ... . Those advances happen all the time and might be partly driven by the magic 20. But yes you never ever should copy one approach totally, but copy the 80% of an approach you like and improve the 20% of things you dont' like about it;) Interesting perspective kip. I would like to counter: Google makes money being in the advertising business through AdSense. AdSense relies big part on the technology developed for Search. Just taking the public part of innovation like gmail or greader leaves out the innovation that remains invisible: algorithm improvements, infrastructure ideas, new management approaches, … . Those advances happen all the time and might be partly driven by the magic 20.

But yes you never ever should copy one approach totally, but copy the 80% of an approach you like and improve the 20% of things you dont’ like about it;)

]]> by: kipbot http://www.kipbot.com/blog/2008/04/02/can-mere-mortals-really-learn-anything-from-google-right-now/#comment-410 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:18:12 +0000 http://www.kipbot.com/blog/2008/04/02/can-mere-mortals-really-learn-anything-from-google-right-now/#comment-410 Nice! I have ordered the book and am building a small shrine to your whiteboard bravery. I'm hiding my mouthy comments behind an obscure little blog. Nice! I have ordered the book and am building a small shrine to your whiteboard bravery. I’m hiding my mouthy comments behind an obscure little blog.

]]> by: Todd W. http://www.kipbot.com/blog/2008/04/02/can-mere-mortals-really-learn-anything-from-google-right-now/#comment-409 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:07:22 +0000 http://www.kipbot.com/blog/2008/04/02/can-mere-mortals-really-learn-anything-from-google-right-now/#comment-409 How timely. This is on my whiteboard right now: "Anyone who uses Apple or Google as an example to bolster their argument owes me a dollar." The cultural and environmental factors that allow Apple or Google to do what they do simply are not available to, well, ANYONE else. We all need to create strategies and ideas that arise from our own specific settings. Merely copying the past decisions of others is rarely an avenue to success. Recommendation: Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths And Total Nonsense by Pfeffer and Sutton. How timely. This is on my whiteboard right now:

“Anyone who uses Apple or Google as an example to bolster their argument owes me a dollar.”

The cultural and environmental factors that allow Apple or Google to do what they do simply are not available to, well, ANYONE else. We all need to create strategies and ideas that arise from our own specific settings. Merely copying the past decisions of others is rarely an avenue to success. Recommendation: Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths And Total Nonsense by Pfeffer and Sutton.

]]> by: kipbot http://www.kipbot.com/blog/2008/04/02/can-mere-mortals-really-learn-anything-from-google-right-now/#comment-384 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:13:00 +0000 http://www.kipbot.com/blog/2008/04/02/can-mere-mortals-really-learn-anything-from-google-right-now/#comment-384 Much pithier, and funnier analogy from <a href="http://www.everydayux.com/2008/04/02/google-20-time-the-carl-pavano-google-bookmarks-corollary/" rel="nofollow">Alex at Everyday UX</a>. Much pithier, and funnier analogy from Alex at Everyday UX.

]]> by: EverydayUX: Everyday User Experience » Blog Archive » Google 20% time: The Carl Pavano Google Bookmarks Corollary http://www.kipbot.com/blog/2008/04/02/can-mere-mortals-really-learn-anything-from-google-right-now/#comment-372 Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:51:41 +0000 http://www.kipbot.com/blog/2008/04/02/can-mere-mortals-really-learn-anything-from-google-right-now/#comment-372 [...] Read the whole piece here: kip/bot/blog » Can Mere Mortals Really Learn Anything from Google right now? SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Google 20% time: The Carl Pavano Google Bookmarks Corollary", url: "http://www.everydayux.com/2008/04/02/google-20-time-the-carl-pavano-google-bookmarks-corollary/" }); [...] […] Read the whole piece here: kip/bot/blog » Can Mere Mortals Really Learn Anything from Google right now? SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “Google 20% time: The Carl Pavano Google Bookmarks Corollary”, url: “http://www.everydayux.com/2008/04/02/google-20-time-the-carl-pavano-google-bookmarks-corollary/” }); […]

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