Ads subsidize the existential 'can we try to solve this before we die' projects that Larry and Sergey consume themselves with. Those projects were starting to

Ads subsidize the existential 'can we try to solve this before we die' projects that Larry and Sergey consume themselves with. Those projects were starting to weigh down Google's bottom line. Alphabet was a reaction to this in that - 'ok brainiacs at these side projects; you have a limited window to become remotely self sufficient; this won't go on subsidized forever'. But again, most of Google's other web products are subsidized by ads. Google is _trying_ to become a pay-first product company, but they really have a disdain for support - they hate support. It's going to be interesting to see Google try and become a product company if the ad spigot starts to slow.