It seems a really smart move to me. At the stage they are investing, the quality of the people and their reputation is more important than the idea itself as a

It seems a really smart move to me. At the stage they are investing, the quality of the people and their reputation is more important than the idea itself as a success predictor. Ex-Googlers have on average a good reputation and they know how they were performing. So it makes a lot of sense to put a small amount in convertible notes early on that could easily result in a lot of money down the road. And if the idea doesn't work out, well, they are closer to them than any other company, much more easy to hire them with all the economical advantages of re-hiring someone you like and trust. I think that, from an economical point of view, there are few downsides and a lot of upsides...