Archive for the ‘Book Reviews’ Category

Googled: The End of the World as We Know It

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

It’s not uncommon to hear Google’s company name discussed in the vein of superlatives.  Google’s products have become so ingrained in our society and culture that the company is often referred to as “the most revolutionary in the history of commerce” or “taking over the world.”  In his new book entitled Googled:  The End of The World as We Know It, author Ken Auletta explains how Google arrived at this place.

Auletta, author of several “insider” business titles, was given unprecedented access to Google’s highly private and reclusive founders and top-tier executives.  While the book is a compelling look at the founding and evolution of Google itself, much of what is in the book is already widely known.  Nonetheless, Auletta does a nice job of synthesizing a story that has rapidly evolved over a number of years.

Since Google is so important to those trying to important to those looking to thrive online, greater understanding of the company can’t hurt.  The following are a few interesting points, take-aways, and thoughts for those intrigued by one of the most revolutionary companies in the world:

  • Google’s motto is:  Don’t be evil.  It may sound trite or overly-simple, but the author shows that this distinguishable concept genuinely guides the decision-making at the company in an umbrella fashion.
  • In 2003 Mel Karmazin, former CEO of Viacom and current CEO of Sirius Satellite Radio, initially chided the Google founders for “messing with the magic”–the magic being the vague veil behind more traditional media where advertisers paid for exposure without much detailed reporting on impressions, responses, and ROI.  Google’s pay-per-click model has essentially destroyed that way of thinking and the “old” advertising business model.
  • Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page initially created and used “the airplane test” as a litmus test for hiring.  This simple test challenged the team to think about whether or not they would want to sit next to a potential hire on an airplane for several hours.  If you would, chances are that this would be a good hire.
  • Google’s guiding principle for its search engine and tools is to “do right by users.”
  • Google was the first to use a derivative of the Vickrey auction style to sell advertising space.
  • The sharp rise in Google’s stock has provoked the following question:  Is Google’s culture great because its stock is doing well or is the stock doing well because the culture is great?
  • Google has fallen under strong criticism from a number of privacy advocates because of the amount of personal data that it collects and stores.  The company’s founders respond that trust in the company is essential to its success and that all of its use of personal information allows them to create better user experiences.  In turn, people with the right information will make better decisions for themselves–essential absorbing value.
  • Al Gore, a board member of Apple and senior advisor to Google, interestingly compared the Google founders with Steve Jobs in this way:  “Steve [Jobs] has the great if painful experience of failing and coming back.”  The wisdom that comes from failure has not yet punched Page and Brin.
  • Google’s ultimate vision is to become not just the leader in interactive advertising, but the leader in all advertising.

It could be argued that Auletta’s book could move a bit more rapidly.  However, on the whole, his book delivers a thorough understanding of the company’s culture, evolution, and future direction.  For those seeking to learn more about how Google grows and functions, this book does not disappoint.

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The Linchpin in Web Projects

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Seth Godin’s new book, Linchpin, challenges and encourages readers to be indispensable.  Failing to do so, he states, is to risk having a job that is sent to a cheaper source of labor–either to other people, a machine, or a combination of the two:

“If we can put it in a manual, we can outsource it.  If we can outsource it, we can get it cheaper.”

This isn’t necessarily a revolutionary idea, but Seth’s way of explaining is both engaging and encouraging.  As one reads the book and absorbs the ideas, some traditional management concepts jump out at the reader.  Here are a few that many might recognize:

  • Be Different – Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter taught us that in his 1996 HBR article in which he boiled the volumes and volumes on the topic of competitive strategy to the very notion of being different.
  • Technology Will Equalize – New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman led us through this in his book The World Is Flat.  As the technology and connectivity proliferates, the more level the playing field becomes for competition.  The winners will be those that are the most innovative.
  • Keep Teams Small to Minimize Relational Complexity – V.A. Graicunas established the concept of Span of Control in 1933 and developed a formula for quantifying it.  Adding an additional member to a team only increases headcount incrementally but increases the number of relationships (handshakes, as Godin calls them) exponentially.
  • Challenge and Responsibility Motivate Louder Than Dollars – Frederick Herzberg developed the two-factor theory in 1968, now immortalized in a HBR Classic article.  Linchpin employees are motivated more by responsibility than dollars.

While Linchpin does seem to rely on some management concepts that are not-so-new, his packaging of the content is particularly relevant given today’s economic shifts.  If you listen to his interview with Lee Stranahan about Linchpin, Godin warns us that “we all live in Detroit now.”  This is meant to be a rallying cry to either adapt to the demands of the new economic environment or risk commoditization.

Much of Seth Godin’s work over the years has had some association with Internet projects.  His work is engaging and inspiring, making him notable and quotable among anyone and everyone who has either launched a Web site or Twitter account  for money.  This has attained him a certain celebrity among both strategists and MLMers alike.

But there is something deeper underneath the surface that all strategists and Internet professionals can use to launch successful Web projects…a set of take-aways that are both revolutionary and sensible all at once:

  • Your site should be a gift to its users – Why are so many Web sites self-serving?  They should give meaningful content, opportunities, or experiences without an expectation of reciprocation.
  • Put someone in charge – Web committees need a clear leader who is actually on the committee.  Too much confusion here leads to a muddled sense of who is in charge and diluted end-product.
  • Set a launch date and stick to it – A failure to do so could mean a year of unnecessary delay and a lack of of project urgency.  Seth calls this the ability to ’ship’ the product, which refers to a site launch.
  • Make it authentic – Your site should truly speak to and connect with users.  Authenticity creates a bond with your site’s guests.
  • There is no Map – There is no cookie-cutter system for creating a successful Web venture–no map.  If you feel like you’re internalizing, struggling, and aspiring your way toward a positive end result, you’re probably doing it right.

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