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Reflecting on 18 Years at Google

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Re: Reflecting on 18 Years at Google

#11

Post by tyingq »

markdog12 wrote: post #3

> Take Jeanine Banks, for example, who manages the department that somewhat arbitrarily contains (among other things) Flutter, Dart, Go, and Firebase. Her department nominally has a strategy, but I couldn't leak it if I wanted to; I literally could never figure out what any part of it meant, even after years of hearing her describe it. Her understanding of what her teams are doing is minimal at best; she frequently m…

If true, it does sound terrible. Though, I would focus not so much on one named person. The culture is allowing it, leaders above and around her, whatever feedback systems Google has, and so on.

Re: Reflecting on 18 Years at Google

#12

Post by t8sr »

Around 2016 at Google, my entire reporting chain, from manager to CEO, changed. Literally not a single person was left. Laszlo, both Erics, Patrick and the rest of the L team all left in quick succession. I think the old Google of < 2015 and the current Google are two companies that have almost nothing in common.

Re: Reflecting on 18 Years at Google

#13

Post by alberth »

> “Much of these problems with Google today stem from a lack of visionary leadership from Sundar Pichai, and his clear lack of interest in maintaining the cultural norms of early Google.”

Ouch.

I know a lot of outsiders believe that, but to have someone who spent 2-decades at Google saying it publicly is rough.

Re: Reflecting on 18 Years at Google

#14

Post by Legend2440 »

lesuorac wrote: post #7

> one of the most annoying is the prevalence of pointless cookie warnings we have to wade through today. Hey if you're cool with me using your hardrive to store data I have a bunch of chia coins that need mining. Its weird how getting somebody's permission before using their stuff is considered unnecessary.

Your understanding of web technology is incredible. You should run for congress.

Re: Reflecting on 18 Years at Google

#15

Post by hnthrowaway0328 »

tyingq wrote: post #11
markdog12 wrote: post #3

> Take Jeanine Banks, for example, who manages the department that somewhat arbitrarily contains (among other things) Flutter, Dart, Go, and Firebase. Her department nominally has a strategy, but I couldn't leak it if I wanted to; I literally could never figure out what any part of it meant, even after years of hearing her describe it. Her understanding of what her teams are doing is minimal at best; she frequently m…

If true, it does sound terrible. Though, I would focus not so much on one named person. The culture is allowing it, leaders above and around her, whatever feedback systems Google has, and so on.

Yep. It usually is a ship leaking from the top. I have seen it (not from Google).

Re: Reflecting on 18 Years at Google

#17

Post by AlbertCory »

Yet another "famous" Googler whom I didn't know. He joined one month before I did. I did know Chris DiBona, at least. Didn't know this Jeanine person.

I wrote a number of articles about working there in the early (or earlier) days. Chronologically:

https://albertcory50.substack.com/p/working-at-google-enterp...

https://albertcory50.substack.com/p/working-at-google-ads

https://albertcory50.substack.com/p/working-at-google-ads-co...

https://albertcory50.substack.com/p/working-at-google-maps

https://albertcory50.substack.com/p/working-at-google-maps-c...

As well as three others about the best part: the non-work activities.

Re: Reflecting on 18 Years at Google

#18

Post by lesuorac »

Chabsff wrote: post #9
lesuorac wrote: post #7

> one of the most annoying is the prevalence of pointless cookie warnings we have to wade through today. Hey if you're cool with me using your hardrive to store data I have a bunch of chia coins that need mining. Its weird how getting somebody's permission before using their stuff is considered unnecessary.

I think you might be confusing cookies and local storage.

Where do you think cookies get stored?

Re: Reflecting on 18 Years at Google

#19

Post by fidotron »

This is interesting, surprisingly blunt, and quite on point about the current malaise, but . . . I think this is the perspective of someone that was happily drinking the kool aid for longer than they should have been.

For example, my impression was that had Android assimilated into the wider Google they would have failed. The wider Google views the fact Android isn't Chrome OS as a strategic failure, but the truth is wider Google doesn't understand how to work with other companies. The Android unit did have certain ludicrous habits (I recall huge laundry bins in the reception of their building at one point) but the reason for this was they understood what was at stake. (People forget just how much needed to be done between Android 1.6 and 4.1 to stop the iPhone completely running away with it, although that effort has now been effectively squandered). There have been other units that also fail to assimilate and then just peter out, but Google under Mr Pichai never learns from acquired companies, it just imposes their way on to them. If you came from the Chrome side of the fence you wouldn't notice this because it was your way being imposed elsewhere.

Mr Pichai has always had a singular vision, to be CEO of Google, and then stay there. What to do with that never seemed to cross his mind.

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