Ask HN: What Happened to Larry Page? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What Happened to Larry Page?

#201

Post by yourapostasy » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 11:30 PM UTC

kens wrote: post #182

moralestapia wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>having been "perceived" in a way by some (possibly) [redacted] Perhaps you're a young man. Warranted or not, 90s Gates was the prototype for the asshole tech CEO. Only Larry Ellison came close, and that's saying something ...

I'm pretty sure that Shockley, the founder of Shockley Semiconductor has them both beat. His management style was described as autocratic, erratic, and hard-to-please as well as domineering and paranoid. Not to mention his questionable views on race and eugenics. In 1957, eight of his researchers (the "traitorous eight") had enough, so they left and founded Fairchild Semiconductor, (co)invented the integrated circuit…

Has anyone ever found a study/research of how (in detail) Shockley hired technical staff?

In an industry famed for unicorns and associated prescient hiring, Shockley still has a distinguished track record for picking some pretty respectable bets on young researchers and engineers.

Re: Ask HN: What Happened to Larry Page?

#202

Post by ci5er » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 11:32 PM UTC

AnonHP wrote: post #6

My guess, which is just a guess, is that the founders got tired of Google Search and advertising and Android and mobile hardware and privacy issues and regulatory issues so much that the “don’t be evil” motto was glaring at their faces and made them uncomfortable enough to step aside and let others run the show (or run things into the ground). This must have allowed them to enjoy their riches in relative peace. Somet…

Yup. It is soul-crushing.

My company failed in the back-wash of the "dot-bomb" (we were not strictly a dot-com play - but close enough that we got caught in the back-wash), and while I would have preferred IPOing (not really possible in early 2000) or M&A (actually, similar reasons), I got really DEPRESSED!. Now, I was just the founder, not the CEO, but the journey from garage to supremacy (if you even make it) is a ride, maaan!

I always found the garage loneliness that you find people lamenting on HackerNews to be a lot more bearable than 10 shareholders and 250 employees and (in our case) 20 global enterprise customers. I am certainly not sure that I have it in me to attempt again. Psychologically, I mean.

Re: Ask HN: What Happened to Larry Page?

#203

Post by andrekandre » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 11:34 PM UTC

netsharc wrote: post #164

ethbr0 wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're not anti-science: they're ignorant. If we had better basic education, presumably people would be able to understand how things work.

I tried arguing with a "Bill Gates wants to kill Africans", and "there's an online furniture store peddling kidnapped teenagers to pedos" girl once, and she thinks I'm the one being brainwashed by MSM and snopes.com (and that they're controlled by the Rotschilds and Rockerfellers), and she thinks she's the one who is enlightened. If I asked for proof, she'd link to some random blog she read and trusts where some luna…

why do people beleive "wacky" relegions?

my guess is it provides an explanation for things, and for people who might not have some direction in their life, something like conspiracy theories provide some meaning (stop the evil conspiracy) + explanation (so thats why things are so screwed up)...

thats my guess anyways....

Re: Ask HN: What Happened to Larry Page?

#204

Post by randcraw » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 11:34 PM UTC

mistermann wrote: post #151

ethbr0 wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're not anti-science: they're ignorant. If we had better basic education, presumably people would be able to understand how things work.

> If we had better basic education, presumably people would be able to understand how things work. Agreed, like the fundamentals of philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, etc. Perhaps then we could rid the world of this widespread perception of clairvoyance (perception of knowing the thoughts of millions of other people, for example).

I think what's missing from education in the US isn't more depth or breadth of facts, but the ability to think independently and critically. We need to gain better awareness that if we're responsible for making an important decision, but we can't be bothered to become informed before making that decision, bad things will happen to us (and others who rely on us) that we could have avoided if we had taken responsibility for our actions like an adult.

I think a huge fraction of society are used to living like a child -- we're used to being told what to do in every part of their lives. So we never learn to accept responsibility... for a business, or an investment, or the health/welfare of others, or for their jobs and livelihoods. We reject accountability.

I think most people believe they're powerless to control their lives, that they're helplessly propelled by giant forces far beyond their control, so their individual decisions and actions don't matter. Thus they don't need to know the facts or consider the consequences of their choices. The collective they belong to will make that decision for them. Their only decision is what sociopolitical gang they should join. They delegate all authority to the group's leaders to think for them after that.

Re: Ask HN: What Happened to Larry Page?

#205

Post by ChrisCinelli » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 11:43 PM UTC

nabla9 wrote: post #139

His paralyzed vocal cords make public speeches hard. He is still Alphabet board member and employee. His interest has always been futurism and moon-shot projects.

My feeling is that the paralyzed vocal cords are more an effect of the root cause.

I think Larry did not like anymore most of what he had to do in his role and created so much stress to him that his body ended up helping him to get out of that role.

From what I heard on some videos Larry and Sergey were still actively involved in the creation of new things in Google X etc. They are engineers and they love to build and create new ambitious things. But if you are high in the management of a big public company that is not your role anymore.

I think they hoped the creation of Alphabet would have given them the opportunity to go back to work on new products with an impact for good in the world instead of having to keep focussing on the dull and stressful management of Google itself.

But in the end they probably realized that it was not the case and they left.

I know they do angel investing. I guess that with their experience and money, it is more effective to help younger enterpronurs to make the world a better place.

Re: Ask HN: What Happened to Larry Page?

#206

Post by maest » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 11:44 PM UTC

chrisco255 wrote: post #165

maest wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure I understand your point?

People like to magnify fringe conspiracies while completely ignoring mainstream ones, when the mainstream ones are actually dangerous for democracy. The police power of government was leveraged against a political rival for explicit political reasons and no one has been punished for it. Extremely dangerous precedent.

Thta's not what was being discussed, though.

Re: Ask HN: What Happened to Larry Page?

#207

Post by ci5er » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 11:45 PM UTC

throwaway45349 wrote: post #2

Retired, I presume. Sometimes people just want to spend time with their kids and not have to work all the time. And I'm sure he talks to Sundar Pichai all the time, Alphabet/Google was his baby afterall.

May I ask? In English: "I presume" means that "I have no data and am speculating". I that correct?

If that is correct, why would you give an answer?

My query should not imply any criticism - just that I don't understand. Could you explain to an (Sincerely, From: obvious problematic person, who does want to learn)

Re: Ask HN: What Happened to Larry Page?

#208

Post by ChrisCinelli » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 11:45 PM UTC

paxys wrote: post #55

throwaway45349 wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't that the whole point of branching off with Alphabet? Seems like a failed experiment if it didn't create a model for new startups to exist under GOOG.

Alphabet failed because it was clear that despite what Page & Brin initially assumed, shareholders/leadership were not okay with dumping billions of dollars into projects with no clear ROI.

You are probably right in some way here. But it was also Larry that started killing a few product at Google after talking with Steve Job that said "Focus!"

Re: Ask HN: What Happened to Larry Page?

#209

Post by xtian » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 11:46 PM UTC

zelias wrote: post #168

hef19898 wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lately, I thought a lot about an anecdote we used to tell in Germany about business consultants. It goes somewhat like this: A consultant meets an old fisherman at a small port. The fisherman is done fishing and enjoying himself. The consultant asks why the fisherman isn't taking a loan to get a bigger ship and fish more. Because he would make a lot of money to do whatever he wants. The fisherman said that he is alre…

How would the fisherman feed himself if he broke his arms? Alternatively, what if he wakes up one day and finds that all the fish near his village have been fished out of the ocean by other, more entrepreneurial fishermen? If had money saved up, at least he could buy food for him and his family.

Social safety net and sustainability regulations. It’s not normal in much of the world to spend your life with the looming fear of being bankrupted by a serious illness or to treat natural ecosystems as a zero sum game to be exploited.

Re: Ask HN: What Happened to Larry Page?

#210

Post by Barrin92 » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 11:47 PM UTC

paxys wrote: post #9

It was clear years ago that neither he nor Brin were interested running Google day-to-day anymore. I'm actually surprised that every billionaire doesn't do the same after reaching a certain point of success. Like..is calling the shots at Facebook really that big a deal that Zuckerberg spends his life being dragged from one mess to another, put in front of Congress every other week, criticized across the political spe…

>Does he really not want to take his $110B and do...literally whatever he wants in peace for the rest of his life?

I mean if I got the chance of running a company of that size, in particular if I started it I wouldn't leave it voluntarily either. He's still in his 30s, what is he going to do with his time, play bridge?

I personally understand Zuckerberg or say Musk much more than Brin or Page. I couldn't retire when I'm barely 40 to sit on some yacht, I'd think I'd be wasting my life, money aside.