Yes, but when a VC creates a product, he doesn't name it: VC's Product Name Why? Because then his name is behind it. Instead, he invests. Google could choose

Yes, but when a VC creates a product, he doesn't name it: VC's Product Name Why? Because then his name is behind it. Instead, he invests. Google could choose to create products that aren't google branded as an experiment. Then they can win/fail on their own merit. But google doesn't choose to do that. They use their branding and marketing machine. They know they are using their brand to create trust. Then they betray it. Seems pretty clear to me and it even seems odd the naivete some people here display, it's almost as if they had an interest in seeing google as a force of good, when they clearly removed their 'do no evil'. There is a choice being made, and the choice has a reason. They have every right to do as they please with their brand, we have every right to find it sneaky, dishonest and something that makes us less likely to get burned again (jumping on board other google projects) For better or worse, brands exist. I love my Nike shoes because they are super comfortable and last a long time. I might be able to get cheaper sneakers that are just as good. But I'm loyal to the brand because they consistently produce great products. If that stopped being the case, I'd stop paying the Nike brand premium. Can Nike experiment? Sure, hopefully not under the Nike brand (in fact, that does happen, many companies in many industries own more than one brand and keep the flagship brand separate from more experimental brands on a PR basis)