I'm pretty sure the intended audience for this logo / branding is not programmers but managers & customers. Programmers are here because of the qualities of the

I'm pretty sure the intended audience for this logo / branding is not programmers but managers & customers. Programmers are here because of the qualities of the language and tooling, but business guys get nervous when you tell them you want to use that tool with that cute and funny mascot. I think google is trying to make Go look serious and respectable from a business guy point of view, and especially not make them think "it's a hobbyist counter-culture thing". No one cares about the suit ? You bet those guys do, they wear suits.