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Google’s Marissa Mayer Tapped as Yahoo’s Chief

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101–110 of 366 posts

Re: Google’s Marissa Mayer Tapped as Yahoo’s Chief

#101

This will play out much like Armstrong at AOL. Lots of flailing around, another attempt at altering Yahoo's trajectory, and ultimately a further devalued company (not specifically because of anything Mayer will do, but because there's nothing that can stop Yahoo's erosion). At some point the conclusion needs to be reached that the core of Yahoo is the problem. The products that generate the bulk of their sales are at…

I think the problem at Yahoo has traditionally been too much of a focus on superstar CEOs, and Mayer isn't much different. What Mayer really needs to do is remove some of the focus from her and put it onto the people on the front lines doing the work.

Re: Google’s Marissa Mayer Tapped as Yahoo’s Chief

#102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, there is no risk at all (if you know what's behind the covers). She is stagnating at Google. She had high ranking high influence positions at Google but over the years has been relegated to a position that has little visibility and control, mostly due to her non execution. This is a great opportunity for her to make some serious cash and be the "top dog" in a kennel of average dogs, rather than the opposite…

Matt Cutts seems to disagree about her work -- https://twitter.com/mattcutts/status/224963111222910976

Matt Cutts is a public face for Google.

Re: Google’s Marissa Mayer Tapped as Yahoo’s Chief

#103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, there is no risk at all (if you know what's behind the covers). She is stagnating at Google. She had high ranking high influence positions at Google but over the years has been relegated to a position that has little visibility and control, mostly due to her non execution. This is a great opportunity for her to make some serious cash and be the "top dog" in a kennel of average dogs, rather than the opposite…

Matt Cutts seems to disagree about her work -- https://twitter.com/mattcutts/status/224963111222910976

To be fair, Matt Cutts is incapable of ever not being nice.

Re: Google’s Marissa Mayer Tapped as Yahoo’s Chief

#104
post #79

"Ms. Mayer resigned from Google on Monday afternoon by telephone. She starts at Yahoo on Tuesday." - That's quick.

For the rank and file 2 weeks is standard. For upper level executives as soon as you resign you're escorted out the door by security and you're not allowed to touch anything. The level of access you had was so high that they don't want you learning anything more about the company's plans and want you out asap. I doubt anyone cared that she resigned by phone.

I've been around some companies where any IT worker who gives 2 week notice is escorted immediately out of the building. It is not unusual for 2 weeks to not be needed or wanted.

Re: Google’s Marissa Mayer Tapped as Yahoo’s Chief

#105
post #2

Wow. I am speechless. There is probably no better person on earth to light a user- and product-focused fire under Yahoo. But the risk, the risk for her is just stunning. Huge props to her for making the leap from what must be a very comfortable Google and for the board for finding a stunning candidate to lead the revival of Yahoo. (Edit: my definition of risk is lost time and missed opportunity. She's not going to su…

Actually, there is no risk at all (if you know what's behind the covers). She is stagnating at Google. She had high ranking high influence positions at Google but over the years has been relegated to a position that has little visibility and control, mostly due to her non execution. This is a great opportunity for her to make some serious cash and be the "top dog" in a kennel of average dogs, rather than the opposite…

> mostly due to her non execution.

I remember long ago hearing her push the notion that all design and interface decisions must be tested. I remember thinking that is just a recipe for non-execution with the goal of never being "wrong".

Re: Google’s Marissa Mayer Tapped as Yahoo’s Chief

#106

So she was head of Search at Google at one point right? I wonder what it would be like to become CEO of a company who has outsourced their whole search and advertising stack to Bing. Will Yahoo! start caring about search or ads again?

I wouldn't bother. They are so far behind both Bing and Google that trying to play catch up in the search game is simply a lost cause. They have significant traffic and brand loyalty for certain services (finance, sports, etc). They need to focus on that, not chase a game they lost ages ago (search).

Just because they've "lost" search doesn't mean they can't make money off of it. Opera "lost" the browser market a long time ago and is still making money.

Re: Google’s Marissa Mayer Tapped as Yahoo’s Chief

#109
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Non-competes are effectively illegal in California.

If I have a non-compete from employment in another state but then want to relocate to California, does that previous non-compete still apply?

You might want to look at http://lawshucks.com/2009/01/apple-ibm-resolve-noncompete-fi...

Re: Google’s Marissa Mayer Tapped as Yahoo’s Chief

#110
post #84
post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Corrected. Poor phrasing on my part. I was suggesting a likely alternative for her would be starting a company, not that Yahoo is anything like a startup.

No, that's exactly how I took it. Oblig car metaphor: That's like saying hey, as an alternative to a free Lamborghini Aventador, you can have an old Pontiac Fiero chassis, and a Chevy 350 with a blown head gasket. If you're really lucky and amazing you might make something worth 1/10th what the Lamborghini is.

Well in this case it's an original Lamborghini, but it was in a horrible wreck and has been sitting at the bottom of the sea for about ten years...

So you can dredge it up, and perhaps restore it to it's original glory...or you can go out and build your own, new dream car from scratch.

Either way it's going to be a TON of work to get to a truly valuable (and fun to drive) vehicle...

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