Google builds lots of failed products too (hint: Google+). They make up for it in sheer volume ;-)
Ask HN: Is Google a Monopoly or just really good at building useful products?
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Re: Ask HN: Is Google a Monopoly or just really good at building useful products?
#12Google is pretty monopolistic. They have shown anti-competitive behavior with local, maps, etc. Would create a more competitive marketplace if Google has broken up into separate publicly traded entities (ie like Waymo)
Re: Ask HN: Is Google a Monopoly or just really good at building useful products?
#13They have their share of failed products (see https://www.computerworlduk.com/galleries/it-vendors/google-...)
Their position allows them to distribute their products to a larger audience, quicker than others for sure, but I don’t believe that’s a formula for success per se.
Successful products like Gmail, grew like a scrappy startup working on a great product would grow.
The first version Paul made was just a search engine for his own email. He then shared it with some friends/colleagues.
Gradually more features were added to improve the product and now we all have Gmail.
I’m sure the Google brand helped with distribution at some point later on, but users aren’t stupid. They pick the product they love using (unless they’re forced in an enterprise type of environment)
Re: Ask HN: Is Google a Monopoly or just really good at building useful products?
#14Google is known in the valley to be notoriously bad at building products.
Does that answer your question?
Re: Ask HN: Is Google a Monopoly or just really good at building useful products?
#15>Is Google a monopoly? Yes in more than one area. The lowest hanging fruit (which will cause downvotes): Google Play. No one can release anything Google disagrees with on Google Play.... but google could. Google and Apple really should be separated from their stores. They know everything that happens on them and no one can compete against that. Bundling Chrome with Android (and Apple apps in iOS) is no different than…
Right Android is the only mobile OS where Epic and others can distribute APKs. You can't do that on iOS.
Re: Ask HN: Is Google a Monopoly or just really good at building useful products?
#16Anti-competitive behaviour doesn't require a monopoly, e.g. dumping or tying.
Google provides its key technology for no cost, subsidised by advertising.
Search, Chrome, YouTube, Maps, Gmail, Android, Google+.
And it frequently ties these to requirements.
Re: Ask HN: Is Google a Monopoly or just really good at building useful products?
#17Google builds lots of failed products too (hint: Google+). They make up for it in sheer volume ;-)
What is wrong in trying and failing ?
Re: Ask HN: Is Google a Monopoly or just really good at building useful products?
#18Why do you believe Google is "really good at building useful products"? Would you buy any of them if they didn't have the Google brand (or pay for any of the free ones for that matter)?
Re: Ask HN: Is Google a Monopoly or just really good at building useful products?
#19>Is Google a monopoly? Yes in more than one area. The lowest hanging fruit (which will cause downvotes): Google Play. No one can release anything Google disagrees with on Google Play.... but google could. Google and Apple really should be separated from their stores. They know everything that happens on them and no one can compete against that. Bundling Chrome with Android (and Apple apps in iOS) is no different than…
> No one can release anything Google disagrees with on Google Play
Recent Android versions made it ever easier to install apps without using the Play Store: I have F-Droid installed and whitelisted (so no warnings every time an apk appears), which required toggling a permission switch the system pointed out to me.
As for Chrome, apparently various vendors ship their own browser as default although it seems they still have to ship Chrome as alternative.
Re: Ask HN: Is Google a Monopoly or just really good at building useful products?
#20They have their share of failed products (see https://www.computerworlduk.com/galleries/it-vendors/google-... ) Their position allows them to distribute their products to a larger audience, quicker than others for sure, but I don’t believe that’s a formula for success per se. Successful products like Gmail, grew like a scrappy startup working on a great product would grow. The first version Paul made was just a searc…
You write about Gmail as if no one had email before that. GMail doesn't have a single meaningful feature that other clients didn't have before. And those clients didn't completely redo the UI every 3 months whether you want it or not.