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People always say this on HN, and while it’s definitely a viable explanation for why Google so often cans projects that are well-loved, I’m finding it harder to

People always say this on HN, and while it’s definitely a viable explanation for why Google so often cans projects that are well-loved, I’m finding it harder to believe the more I think about it. If all of us on the outside are so aware of this fact about Google’s culture, surely someone with sway has heard about it, and taken steps to fix it. I’m sure Google are well aware of the perception that they’re always getting rid of products, and would like to fix that. So if the explanation was just that the culture doesn’t reward maintaining existing projects, I’m sure we would have heard something about a corporate incentive to maintain stuff.

phkahler 5y ago
I hate the word, but if there's one thing google has it's analytics - data. They can tell if something is growing or dying. I'm guessing they could even tell youtube was growing before they bought it. But seeing an upward trend seems easier than seeing a flat line and deciding it can't be turned into an upward trend.
CarelessExpert 5y ago
> So if the explanation was just that the culture doesn’t reward maintaining existing projects, I’m sure we would have heard something about a corporate incentive to maintain stuff. So, two things: 1) Changing culture is really hard, especially at a company the size of Google, and 2) Even if they could change the culture, it's possible they simply don't care or they believe the benefits outweigh the cost.
jsnell 5y ago
How about this explanation instead: Google doesn't actually have a habit of canceling projects that are well-loved? If you don't believe it, try selecting 10 of their supposedly killed products at random. Had you honestly heard of them ever before? Do they look like something that would have had a significant user base? Hell, do they even look like they were actual products?

phkahler 5y ago

I hate the word, but if there's one thing google has it's analytics - data. They can tell if something is growing or dying. I'm guessing they could even tell youtube was growing before they bought it. But seeing an upward trend seems easier than seeing a flat line and deciding it can't be turned into an upward trend.

CarelessExpert 5y ago

> So if the explanation was just that the culture doesn’t reward maintaining existing projects, I’m sure we would have heard something about a corporate incentive to maintain stuff. So, two things: 1) Changing culture is really hard, especially at a company the size of Google, and 2) Even if they could change the culture, it's possible they simply don't care or they believe the benefits outweigh the cost.

jsnell 5y ago

How about this explanation instead: Google doesn't actually have a habit of canceling projects that are well-loved? If you don't believe it, try selecting 10 of their supposedly killed products at random. Had you honestly heard of them ever before? Do they look like something that would have had a significant user base? Hell, do they even look like they were actual products?