Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups

#51

Post by freakonom » Fri, Sep 12, 2014, 1:44 PM UTC

Between the lines: Google has calculated that

ExpectedLockinValue(given(ventureFunded)) + SillyPRBoost.value > ExpectedUsage($100k/yr)

Or, in other words, Google believes for the venture-funded cohort, giving you a $100k option now will set them up to take significantly more later. They also don't want to spend any effort administrating (vetting) this program.

I don't think this is confusing or insulting. Google's cards are plainly on the table, and as always they're here to make a profit.

Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups

#52

Post by skj » Fri, Sep 12, 2014, 1:49 PM UTC

freakonom wrote: post #51

Between the lines: Google has calculated that ExpectedLockinValue(given(ventureFunded)) + SillyPRBoost.value > ExpectedUsage($100k/yr) Or, in other words, Google believes for the venture-funded cohort, giving you a $100k option now will set them up to take significantly more later. They also don't want to spend any effort administrating (vetting) this program. I don't think this is confusing or insulting. Google's ca…

Yes, I think it's clear that this is not charity, but spending <=$100,000 on EXTREMELY well-targeted advertising.

Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups

#53

Post by Kurtz79 » Fri, Sep 12, 2014, 1:50 PM UTC

davidw wrote: post #13

calgaryeng wrote: post #8

> This offer is available to startups that meet the following criteria: > - In an approved Accelerator, Incubator or VC fund Why is this a thing? Not everyone wants to build their startup through venture capital, or an accelerator. This just reinforces the existing "permission-based" startup ecosystem.

> "permission-based" startup ecosystem. What's that?! Startups are getting easier and easier to start with no VC involvement, and there is a large community of people doing bootstrapping. If anything, I'd question who is voting this article up. It's of little use to most of us.

You realize that you are writing in a news site hosted by a startup accelerator, right ?

I can´t think of many other places where it would be more relevant.

Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups

#54

Post by god_bless_texas » Fri, Sep 12, 2014, 1:50 PM UTC

This is awesome, now AWS will offer $150,000 to use theirs with no accelerator requirement.

Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups

#55

Post by malanj » Fri, Sep 12, 2014, 1:51 PM UTC

This really speaks to Amazon's dominance in the space. Over the past year I've been approach by Google reps with increasingly insane offers of free hosting. This move seems to be a whole new level.

I still wonder "is it worth not doing something on Amazon?" $100k is a lot of money, but how much will most startups spend on hosting in the first year anyway? Unless you're specifically focused on infrastructure, in which case you probably won't choose your provider (i.e. the key partner in your business) based on free credit.

Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups

#56

Post by icebraining » Fri, Sep 12, 2014, 1:51 PM UTC

walterbell wrote: post #38

trjordan wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not perfect, but what's a better way? There's a million people who could use this $100k to mine bitcoins, run personal servers, do scientific calculations, or more. Google isn't interested in those people: they want to lock in companies and keep them there as they grow quickly. If you worked at Google, what would you propose to catch these long-term valuable customers, without giving away a ton of free infrastru…

University partnership? GSOC competition? AWS customers with high month-over-month revenue & traffic growth and less than 10 employees? There are many ways of triaging worthy candidates and involving the broader tech community, without further advantaging the already over-advantaged.

AWS customers with high month-over-month revenue & traffic growth and less than 10 employees?

Seems a little late to lure them into the Google Platform.

Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups

#57

Post by skj » Fri, Sep 12, 2014, 1:52 PM UTC

jedc wrote: post #29

brudgers wrote: post #23

Asking myself how this makes business sense. Answering myself that it only does if Google hits a homerun based on: + Vendor/plat-form lock-in. + Data mining startups' traffic. + Access to startups' code and data. + Ability to pull the plug. For Vendor/Platform lock-in this could be virtual, ie the burden of switching the code base for administrative tasks to Amazon or Azure or some other provider could be prohibitive…

Points 2-4 would involve Google violating (likely) their own Ts&Cs with customers and (possibly?) state/federal law. But I think your Point 1 is highly likely. How many startups are going to build on Google's Cloud Platform, then after a year port everything to AWS, particularly if Google can prove that they're cheaper or at least cost-competitive with similar feature set. (Assuming that's true, of course, and that y…

Just to reinforce this... (I am a Google Cloud Platform engineer)

Google's internal data, which is mined (and audited), and the Cloud datacenters/data, are hosted entirely separately (though that's as much to protect us from you as you from us).

We do not do anything with data stored by cloud platform customers.

Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups

#58

Post by skj » Fri, Sep 12, 2014, 1:53 PM UTC

god_bless_texas wrote: post #54

This is awesome, now AWS will offer $150,000 to use theirs with no accelerator requirement.

Sounds like 150k in free bitcoins to whomever wants to jump on that deal, to me.

Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups

#59

Post by icebraining » Fri, Sep 12, 2014, 1:55 PM UTC

jedc wrote: post #29

brudgers wrote: post #23

Asking myself how this makes business sense. Answering myself that it only does if Google hits a homerun based on: + Vendor/plat-form lock-in. + Data mining startups' traffic. + Access to startups' code and data. + Ability to pull the plug. For Vendor/Platform lock-in this could be virtual, ie the burden of switching the code base for administrative tasks to Amazon or Azure or some other provider could be prohibitive…

Points 2-4 would involve Google violating (likely) their own Ts&Cs with customers and (possibly?) state/federal law. But I think your Point 1 is highly likely. How many startups are going to build on Google's Cloud Platform, then after a year port everything to AWS, particularly if Google can prove that they're cheaper or at least cost-competitive with similar feature set. (Assuming that's true, of course, and that y…

How many startups are going to build on Google's Cloud Platform, then after a year port everything to AWS, particularly if Google can prove that they're cheaper or at least cost-competitive with similar feature set.

It's hardly lock-in if the reason for not leaving is "we're cheaper than the competition". That's just having a better offer.

Re: Google Launches Cloud Platform for Startups

#60

Post by davidw » Fri, Sep 12, 2014, 1:56 PM UTC

Kurtz79 wrote: post #53

davidw wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> "permission-based" startup ecosystem. What's that?! Startups are getting easier and easier to start with no VC involvement, and there is a large community of people doing bootstrapping. If anything, I'd question who is voting this article up. It's of little use to most of us.

You realize that you are writing in a news site hosted by a startup accelerator, right ? I can´t think of many other places where it would be more relevant.

The number of people who are in some way part of YC here are far outnumbered by those of us just reading the site, so, yeah, most of us are not really going to be directly affected by this.