45 ms·

Why not just axe the division? What exactly is the P/E ratio at Verily, Waymo, GoogleFiber, AugmentedBS, etc? Let's put more wood behind more intelligent arrows

Why not just axe the division? What exactly is the P/E ratio at Verily, Waymo, GoogleFiber, AugmentedBS, etc? Let's put more wood behind more intelligent arrows, rather than dulling extremely dull arrows that obviously go nowhere - or just do stock buybacks.

beambot 4y ago
P/E is undefined with E=0. Verily (at least) is an independent entity. Google maintains a hefty equity position, but there are other outside investors too.
- jcims 4y ago
  >Verily (at least) is an independent entity. On paper. I interviewed for a position there a few years ago and it was very clear that they were still quite dependent on Google operationally. It actually left me wondering when one of the ’bets leaves Google how they would manage the transition. My guess is most would actually have to be acquired.
- cudgy 4y ago
  It’s ok, because E < 0
moneywoes 4y ago
They are Moonshots perhaps
kwertyoowiyop 4y ago
See you here next January.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
AlotOfReading 4y ago
Google fiber wasn't intended as a profitable enterprise. It might have been if the stars had aligned, but the goal was to have a credible threat to force ISPs to up their game. The alternative was Google slowly getting strangled. It succeeded enough to prevent that and they were able to pivot to a much more sustainable buildout plan with webpass. Waymo is actually one of the few ventures whose TAM might rival their ads business and they're the market leader.
klodolph 4y ago
IMO Waymo has the most credibility with autonomous driving. Google Fiber is, as far as I can tell, one part naïveté and one part long-term strategic plan to keep Google's main business running. Fiber dreamed big and it turned out that they underestimated the logistical and bureaucratic hurdles involved in all that last-mile business. But... Fiber is also a strategic asset so Google can more easily face certain types of threats posed by companies like Comcast. Just my take. I don't know about the rest. My understanding is that the strategy is to invest in a bunch of ideas with median P/E of 0, but average P/E much higher--at least, over a long enough term.
optimalsolver 4y ago
>AugmentedBS Poetry.

beambot 4y ago

P/E is undefined with E=0. Verily (at least) is an independent entity. Google maintains a hefty equity position, but there are other outside investors too.

jcims 4y ago
>Verily (at least) is an independent entity. On paper. I interviewed for a position there a few years ago and it was very clear that they were still quite dependent on Google operationally. It actually left me wondering when one of the ’bets leaves Google how they would manage the transition. My guess is most would actually have to be acquired.
cudgy 4y ago
It’s ok, because E < 0

moneywoes 4y ago

They are Moonshots perhaps

kwertyoowiyop 4y ago

See you here next January.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

AlotOfReading 4y ago

Google fiber wasn't intended as a profitable enterprise. It might have been if the stars had aligned, but the goal was to have a credible threat to force ISPs to up their game. The alternative was Google slowly getting strangled. It succeeded enough to prevent that and they were able to pivot to a much more sustainable buildout plan with webpass. Waymo is actually one of the few ventures whose TAM might rival their ads business and they're the market leader.

klodolph 4y ago

IMO Waymo has the most credibility with autonomous driving. Google Fiber is, as far as I can tell, one part naïveté and one part long-term strategic plan to keep Google's main business running. Fiber dreamed big and it turned out that they underestimated the logistical and bureaucratic hurdles involved in all that last-mile business. But... Fiber is also a strategic asset so Google can more easily face certain types of threats posed by companies like Comcast. Just my take. I don't know about the rest. My understanding is that the strategy is to invest in a bunch of ideas with median P/E of 0, but average P/E much higher--at least, over a long enough term.

optimalsolver 4y ago

>AugmentedBS Poetry.