3 ms·

Agreed. Additionally, this decision by Google to jump into this game has now completely screwed a big project I was working on. How? I work with retail data

by JPKab 11y ago

Agreed. Additionally, this decision by Google to jump into this game has now completely screwed a big project I was working on. How? I work with retail data on behalf of large companies, and companies like Walmart and Target don't want any of the point of sale or inventory feeds they provide to their suppliers hosted on cloud infrastructure owned by a competitor. In the past, this meant absolutely no Amazon options for cloud infrastructure. I was happily using Google Cloud. Now, thanks to this certainly ill-fated business decision to get into grocery delivery, I'm going to be forced to move my data to Azure. Thanks Google. I sure wish you would try to focus for once instead of latching on to every single niche you see small startups in. I feel sorry for Instacart on this one as well. They were just starting to hit profitability in a few cities.

skyyler 11y ago
So Google should consult you before they take on a new product, just to make sure you're ok with it?
- rhino369 11y ago
  Well that would be the considerate thing to do.
- cubano 11y ago
  While it made me laugh, isn't snark like this often buried here on HN? Just wondering.
- JPKab 11y ago
  Of course not. I won't have a hard time moving my stuff, although I would have preferred to stay on Google. I was a bit pissed off when I wrote the original comment due to this unexpected twist. Obviously not their fault, but it sucks that the two most viable cloud providers are now both in the fucking retail world. Honestly, I love Google, and just wish they would TRY to focus a bit before branching out into anything and everything. My main gripe is that I don't think they will AT ALL succeed in grocery delivery. It's complicated and requires focus.
  - dragonwriter 11y ago
    > I was a bit pissed off when I wrote the original comment due to this unexpected twist. Obviously not their fault, but it sucks that the two most viable cloud providers are now both in the fucking retail world. Google isn't really in the retail world (well, except for Google Store which sells a limited array of Google-branded devices, Chromebooks, etc.) -- Google Express (the service expanding into fresh grocery delivery here) is a delivery service that partners with retailers like Target, Whole Foods, Raleys/BelAir, Costco, etc., and it has been doing so since 2013 for dry goods.
nickpsecurity 11y ago
That's an angle I didn't think about. Just switch to one of the other clouds like DO that's unlikely to compete on that. Also, keep your stuff provider agnostic where possible. Stuff can always happen.
- JPKab 11y ago
  Of course. Not an issue to move it, just really wanted to stay on Google Cloud. I actually like some of the stuff on there.
dragonwriter 11y ago
>I work with retail data on behalf of large companies, and companies like Walmart and Target don't want any of the point of sale or inventory feeds they provide to their suppliers hosted on cloud infrastructure owned by a competitor. Target isn't a competitor to Google Express, in fact, Target is one of Google's retailer partners in Google Express. (Walmart isn't really a competitor to Google Express, either, since they don't do an aggregate-and-deliver service like Google Express, but it isn't a partner, either, and a number of their competitors are partners, so I suppose there might be some way they see the service as making Google a competitor.) Anyhow, to the extent that this is a problem, Google Express has been around for a few years, the only thing new is fresh grocery delivery instead of just dry goods. So, to the extent there is a problem with companies "like Walmart and Target" seeing this kind of aggregate-and-deliver service as a competitor their retail business that makes then not want their data hosted on Google's cloud, your "big project" has been "completely screwed" since Google Shopping Express (its original name) launched in 2013.

by JPKab 11y ago

skyyler 11y ago

So Google should consult you before they take on a new product, just to make sure you're ok with it?

rhino369 11y ago
Well that would be the considerate thing to do.
cubano 11y ago
While it made me laugh, isn't snark like this often buried here on HN? Just wondering.
JPKab 11y ago
Of course not. I won't have a hard time moving my stuff, although I would have preferred to stay on Google. I was a bit pissed off when I wrote the original comment due to this unexpected twist. Obviously not their fault, but it sucks that the two most viable cloud providers are now both in the fucking retail world. Honestly, I love Google, and just wish they would TRY to focus a bit before branching out into anything and everything. My main gripe is that I don't think they will AT ALL succeed in grocery delivery. It's complicated and requires focus.
- dragonwriter 11y ago
  > I was a bit pissed off when I wrote the original comment due to this unexpected twist. Obviously not their fault, but it sucks that the two most viable cloud providers are now both in the fucking retail world. Google isn't really in the retail world (well, except for Google Store which sells a limited array of Google-branded devices, Chromebooks, etc.) -- Google Express (the service expanding into fresh grocery delivery here) is a delivery service that partners with retailers like Target, Whole Foods, Raleys/BelAir, Costco, etc., and it has been doing so since 2013 for dry goods.

nickpsecurity 11y ago

That's an angle I didn't think about. Just switch to one of the other clouds like DO that's unlikely to compete on that. Also, keep your stuff provider agnostic where possible. Stuff can always happen.

JPKab 11y ago
Of course. Not an issue to move it, just really wanted to stay on Google Cloud. I actually like some of the stuff on there.

dragonwriter 11y ago

>I work with retail data on behalf of large companies, and companies like Walmart and Target don't want any of the point of sale or inventory feeds they provide to their suppliers hosted on cloud infrastructure owned by a competitor. Target isn't a competitor to Google Express, in fact, Target is one of Google's retailer partners in Google Express. (Walmart isn't really a competitor to Google Express, either, since they don't do an aggregate-and-deliver service like Google Express, but it isn't a partner, either, and a number of their competitors are partners, so I suppose there might be some way they see the service as making Google a competitor.) Anyhow, to the extent that this is a problem, Google Express has been around for a few years, the only thing new is fresh grocery delivery instead of just dry goods. So, to the extent there is a problem with companies "like Walmart and Target" seeing this kind of aggregate-and-deliver service as a competitor their retail business that makes then not want their data hosted on Google's cloud, your "big project" has been "completely screwed" since Google Shopping Express (its original name) launched in 2013.