Another Group of Google Veterans Starts a Self-Driving Technology Company
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Re: Another Group of Google Veterans Starts a Self-Driving Technology Company
#2Is this the new recruiting for elite recruits?
We saw this with the Nest folks, which was really a shell company that hired as many talented folks from Apple as possible, built a product, and then put themselves up for sale in the valley: either back to Apple or to Google.
This basically makes joining one of these startups a no-risk opportunity: huge upside if the thing you build actually works out, slide into a bigco job again if it doesn't...
Re: Another Group of Google Veterans Starts a Self-Driving Technology Company
#3The bet on maps is interesting. I'm of the personal opinion that in the long run only machine learning can solve autonomous driving, but both MobilEye and now this company both have invested heavily into maps.
MobilEye makes sense, they have vested financial reasons that dictate what they do, so they can't turn their back on maps which they've been using for such a long time.
On the other hand, starting a company in maps for self driving cars, especially by what appears to be industry veterans, is far more interesting.
Re: Another Group of Google Veterans Starts a Self-Driving Technology Company
#4Is this the new recruiting for elite recruits? We saw this with the Nest folks, which was really a shell company that hired as many talented folks from Apple as possible, built a product, and then put themselves up for sale in the valley: either back to Apple or to Google. This basically makes joining one of these startups a no-risk opportunity: huge upside if the thing you build actually works out, slide into a bigc…
What exactly is the downside of that? Is it really that wrong that bright employees who make the actual product have a little more leverage?
Re: Another Group of Google Veterans Starts a Self-Driving Technology Company
#5Is this the new recruiting for elite recruits? We saw this with the Nest folks, which was really a shell company that hired as many talented folks from Apple as possible, built a product, and then put themselves up for sale in the valley: either back to Apple or to Google. This basically makes joining one of these startups a no-risk opportunity: huge upside if the thing you build actually works out, slide into a bigc…
What exactly is the downside of that? Is it really that wrong that bright employees who make the actual product have a little more leverage?
Nope! I just realized that this might be a pattern and not a one-off. :)
Re: Another Group of Google Veterans Starts a Self-Driving Technology Company
#6Earlier quoted context omitted.
What exactly is the downside of that? Is it really that wrong that bright employees who make the actual product have a little more leverage?
Nope! I just realized that this might be a pattern and not a one-off. :)
It's been a pattern for a long time. I remember lot of startups back in the 90s built without any conceivable purpose or goal besides "being bought by Microsoft".
I've always thought it would be a great (albeit risky) way for someone who is talented but stuck in a go-nowhere job to get a nice bonus and/or raise:
1. Quit your job doing X
2. Found a company to do some related Y
3. A year layer or so, get purchased by your old company for the technology.
It's also an alternative way to get a new job somewhere where you can't seem to get through the interview funnel. I'd imagine that at some Silicon Valley companies it's easier to get acquired than get hired.
Re: Another Group of Google Veterans Starts a Self-Driving Technology Company
#7Is this the new recruiting for elite recruits? We saw this with the Nest folks, which was really a shell company that hired as many talented folks from Apple as possible, built a product, and then put themselves up for sale in the valley: either back to Apple or to Google. This basically makes joining one of these startups a no-risk opportunity: huge upside if the thing you build actually works out, slide into a bigc…
What exactly is the downside of that? Is it really that wrong that bright employees who make the actual product have a little more leverage?
I see parallels between this and lobbying in the US government where lobbied officials will leave for a private sector position as a lobbyist or executive at say a $BIG_TELCO or $BIG_OIL company. Why shouldn't government professionals use their knowledge and expertise to get more leverage going into the private sector?
I think the biggest argument here is that sometimes the end goal becomes not the work that person is currently doing but the payout down the road if their actions line up in a certain way. If your goal at Google is to leave in three years and start a self driving car-company to get acqui-hired, you might for instance spend three years making lists of people to take with you or knowledge that won't violate NDAs or whatever. Though often times that might be acceptable, a.k.a. the 'you don't owe your employer anything' line of logic (which generally I agree with), sometimes it can become morally dubious if for example, it corrupts personal relationships or becomes manipulative.
And then finally you get the case of the Waymo guy who may have planned and conspired to steal information on his way out the door, ironically after having already gained multi-generational wealth.
Re: Another Group of Google Veterans Starts a Self-Driving Technology Company
#8The bet on maps is interesting. I'm of the personal opinion that in the long run only machine learning can solve autonomous driving, but both MobilEye and now this company both have invested heavily into maps. MobilEye makes sense, they have vested financial reasons that dictate what they do, so they can't turn their back on maps which they've been using for such a long time. On the other hand, starting a company in…
Fleet management will become a true need, so maybe that will turn out to be their main value prop.
Re: Another Group of Google Veterans Starts a Self-Driving Technology Company
#9When companies pay each engineer X and earn 10 times X on each engineer, this is inevitable. Near as I can tell, this is a strategy that is helping engineers retain more of the value they are creating.
If the difference was more subtle such as 2 to 3 times X, then the incentive to go through this much trouble to retain much of the value you create is much smaller.
Re: Another Group of Google Veterans Starts a Self-Driving Technology Company
#10Waiting for one called 'FlashDrive'