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Average product lifespan of Google products before it kills them

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Re: Average product lifespan of Google products before it kills them

#21

Post by jedberg »

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #17
jedberg wrote: post #15

I noticed in the "recent deaths" section, YouTube for 3DS. This made me laugh, because at Netflix, supporting the 3DS was always a big pain. Regardless, Netflix still supports it to this day. In fact, as far as I know, Netflix has only ever killed support for one platform -- The PS2. And that was only because there were only about 10 people left using it. So we sent them all Rokus and told them we're discontinuing PS…

I love that you sent them Rokus. Most companies would just tell them they are out of luck and to go buy something. My old Panasonic TV has a handful of apps left (it's got like three home screens for apps, and like four still even exist). Thankfully Vudu, my app of choice, still works. As does Netflix and I believe Amazon Prime.

> I love that you sent them Rokus. Most companies would just tell them they are out of luck and to go buy something.

Yeah, I liked that too. It made me feel good an employee to know we did the right thing. Given the cost of the rokus vs the super happy customers plus the morale boost to the employees, it seems like a no-brainer.

Re: Average product lifespan of Google products before it kills them

#22

Post by jedberg »

I wonder what this is the average of? It is the average of just things that were killed, or the average of all products, including living ones like Search? And is it really average or is it median?

> based on discontinued products listed on our website

This makes me think it is only dead products, which seems like it would skew things a bit.

If anything this tells me it takes them a long time to make a decision to kill something.

Re: Average product lifespan of Google products before it kills them

#23

Post by sct202 »

jedberg wrote: post #15

I noticed in the "recent deaths" section, YouTube for 3DS. This made me laugh, because at Netflix, supporting the 3DS was always a big pain. Regardless, Netflix still supports it to this day. In fact, as far as I know, Netflix has only ever killed support for one platform -- The PS2. And that was only because there were only about 10 people left using it. So we sent them all Rokus and told them we're discontinuing PS…

Netflix is the last app that works on my Sony Google TV from 2011. The YouTube app shut off after like 2015, but 8 years later Netflix is still trucking.

Re: Average product lifespan of Google products before it kills them

#24

Post by nfriedly »

jedberg wrote: post #15

I noticed in the "recent deaths" section, YouTube for 3DS. This made me laugh, because at Netflix, supporting the 3DS was always a big pain. Regardless, Netflix still supports it to this day. In fact, as far as I know, Netflix has only ever killed support for one platform -- The PS2. And that was only because there were only about 10 people left using it. So we sent them all Rokus and told them we're discontinuing PS…

That is impressive. I've seen it have hiccups before, but I just tried again on my (old) 3DS XL and it did indeed still work.

Not being able to switch users is pretty aggravating, though. (Both for me and the family member who's account the 3DS forces me onto.) That issue alone prettymuch keeps me from using it :(

Re: Average product lifespan of Google products before it kills them

#25

Post by lubujackson »

heavymark wrote: post #3

I imagine Google views this as a positive thing, trying a million ideas, so that hopefully it increases the chances of having at least one good and popular idea. The downside is, a lot of products they killed were good ideas, but its sink or swim and they don't get the products the needed love and attention so they don't take off and thus they kill them. And now even when releasing a good idea or good piece of hardwa…

For all the fun people made of Yahoo back in the day, this is more or less the trajectory their many products went through. With the difference being a lot more of the internal discussions, consolidations and "new direction" decision-making was known, making them seem headless and chaotic.

There seems to be a general problem supporting employee-led innovation at scale, when the bean-counters start to control the product pipeline (and rarely look beyond the next quarter).

Re: Average product lifespan of Google products before it kills them

#26

Post by privateSFacct »

Meanwhile on AWS I was using SimpleDB until recently on a small project - I make AWS NO money - but they seem to still support SimpleDB even though it is not actually marketed? It's 12 years old and can't be generating a lot of new signups because it doesn't actually show up anywhere I don't think.

Does anyone know how AWS handles depreciating items on AWS. I've yet to be bitten despite beng a long time user (S3 still going / Simple DB was going last time I needed it etc).

Re: Average product lifespan of Google products before it kills them

#27

Post by kylec »

jedberg wrote: post #15

I noticed in the "recent deaths" section, YouTube for 3DS. This made me laugh, because at Netflix, supporting the 3DS was always a big pain. Regardless, Netflix still supports it to this day. In fact, as far as I know, Netflix has only ever killed support for one platform -- The PS2. And that was only because there were only about 10 people left using it. So we sent them all Rokus and told them we're discontinuing PS…

Netflix support for the Wii is also being discontinued:

https://www.polygon.com/wii/2018/11/11/18085282/wii-netflix-...

Re: Average product lifespan of Google products before it kills them

#28

Post by sct202 »

_ea1k wrote: post #13
heavymark wrote: post #3

I imagine Google views this as a positive thing, trying a million ideas, so that hopefully it increases the chances of having at least one good and popular idea. The downside is, a lot of products they killed were good ideas, but its sink or swim and they don't get the products the needed love and attention so they don't take off and thus they kill them. And now even when releasing a good idea or good piece of hardwa…

Maybe, but some are exceptionally bad. Why did Allo exist at all for example? And the merging, demerging involved with Messages, Hangouts, and Voice have been a complete mess. There's more there than just trying some ideas, as some of the ideas actively damaged older ideas.

I don't understand why they announced that Google Hangouts (classic) is closing to move to Google Hangouts Chat, like it's a chat app am I going to notice a difference, but now you just made me think that the whole service is shutting down?

Re: Average product lifespan of Google products before it kills them

#29

Post by Skunkleton »

kylec wrote: post #27
jedberg wrote: post #15

I noticed in the "recent deaths" section, YouTube for 3DS. This made me laugh, because at Netflix, supporting the 3DS was always a big pain. Regardless, Netflix still supports it to this day. In fact, as far as I know, Netflix has only ever killed support for one platform -- The PS2. And that was only because there were only about 10 people left using it. So we sent them all Rokus and told them we're discontinuing PS…

Netflix support for the Wii is also being discontinued: https://www.polygon.com/wii/2018/11/11/18085282/wii-netflix-...

So quick sign in on your Wii and get a free roku!

Re: Average product lifespan of Google products before it kills them

#30

Post by cookie_monsta »

throwawaytoday5 wrote: post #14
cookie_monsta wrote: post #12

Not a Google fanboy by any means, but couldn't this be read with the opposite conclusion as well - that the average time that Google keeps marginal products alive is 4 years? Of course it's possible that everyone has some personal favourites amongst those 164, but if an idea really has legs what's to stop people from exhuming it from the Google graveyard?

4 years for a product is abysmal from one of the richest companies in the world. This is Google not some garage shop with 2 employees.

I have no idea what the metrics are, but to continue my devil's advocacy, would the counterpoint here be "average lifespan of a marginal product that doesn't get acquired by $BIG_COMPANY"?
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