5 ms·
DuckDuckGo's rise feels like textbook "Innovator's Dilemma" stuff. By prioritizing privacy, something Google can't do because all the institutional values are m
by yt-sdb 6y ago
DuckDuckGo's rise feels like textbook "Innovator's Dilemma" stuff. By prioritizing privacy, something Google can't do because all the institutional values are misaligned with that goal, DDG were able to make headway into a niche market. Now they're established, and their results are getting better and better, even in the broader market. For example, I use DDG mostly because their results are visually easier to parse. It remains to be seen if they'll ever beat Google at their own search game, but Google certainly feels vulnerable for the first time in many years.
- hogFeast 6y agoThe visually easier part also relates to how Google "innovated". At some point Google seems to have realised that all they needed to do to grow, was just stuff more ads above the fold, and remove all non-Google content (i.e. when you search for travel, you get Google's OTA...when you search for finance news, you get Google's clickjacked articles, etc.). It is far easier to hit earnings that way (and btw, this was the intention...they rolled this out slowly so could they could control the numbers they reported). In my personal opinion, Google also optimises for hiring bureaucrats. Something has gone wrong with hiring when you are hiring a bunch of "smart" people and your strategy is this weak. Either you are hiring a bunch of people you don't need or you are hiring a bunch of people with the wrong skills (in this case, it is probably both). Google jobs seem like a sinecure...lots of people busily doing nothing...just imo. It is classic Innovator's Dilemma though (that book is amazing).
- three_seagrass 6y agoHow do you know Duck Duck Go actually prioritizes privacy though? People on HN have said that Duck Duck Go is a for profit corporation that doesn't open source or independently validate their privacy claims.
- tokai 6y agoSaw a billboard for ddg, at a bus stop, in the suburbs of a larger Scandinavian city the other day. It struck me as a weird place for a tech add. Guess they are really working hard to break into the mainstream.
- tidenly 6y agoWould it be petty of me to say I just hate DuckDuckGo's name? I know that's a stupid thing to pick your search on over privacy but when I use it I can feel myself internally screaming at how lame the branding is - I can't be the only one right?
- kinkrtyavimoodh 6y agoSame here. It feels like a joke website.