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Part of the issue here is that Google is a large, mature, Corporation. People expect it to act like a (or rather 50) small, nimble, innovative start ups. But

Part of the issue here is that Google is a large, mature, Corporation. People expect it to act like a (or rather 50) small, nimble, innovative start ups. But it isn't that. It's a large mature corporation in a stable market (search/advertising). This is why there were layoffs recently: Google's future is not growing (where people are an asset) it is Efficiency (where people are a cost centre). This is also why Google struggles so much with innovation, new product lines etc. The same things that stopped GE or AT&T becoming big players online will stop Google from being a big player in <Insert New Thing> (remember before ChatGPT when it was Crypto and Google didn't have a coin? Or before that when it was Quantum computing and Google were totally definitely building one, it just still doesn't exist?). And all of this is A-Ok. This is just the corporate lifecycle. There are very good, economically sensible, pragmatic reasons why big companies do not innovate and why efficiency is more important there. Whether Google needs a new CEO or not depends entirely on whether it's current one can deliver that. But Layoffs are a sign the current guy is doing his job, people just don't understand (or don't want to understand) what his job is...

rixrax 4y ago
I think you nailed it! I think there is a bit of cognitive dissonance here because a lot of the workforce at Google (and indeed at other FAANGs) are people who have worked their entire careers at Google or similar companies and now their endless summer is coming to an end. Kids that went from college to free food, latte bars, arcade rooms, 20% own projects and such are now waking up to a new reality of their first real down cycle. Profits are down or at least not growing, and they have become sacrificial lambs at the altar of capitalism, where you are measured against the value you produce, not the coolness of your projects. So it goes.
- LatteLazy 4y ago
  Yeah. I am sort of sympathetic. The same thing has been happening at my company over the last year. We are a startup but we're up to 180 people now and when you're looking to raise and starting to think about a buyer/IPO etc then things get more and more efficient. That's just life. I think Google (and other FAANGs) did really well to remain innovative and start-up-y for so long. But "gravity always wins in the end" It must be a bit bitter for people who recently started at these companies. I think a lot of people worked very hard for a long time to "get in". They expected guaranteed employment for life, perks galore, etc. They had "arrived". And now its all evaporating. That's not fair really. But I don't think anyone did it on purpose. I think people just forgot that middle age comes to all companies eventually...

rixrax 4y ago

I think you nailed it! I think there is a bit of cognitive dissonance here because a lot of the workforce at Google (and indeed at other FAANGs) are people who have worked their entire careers at Google or similar companies and now their endless summer is coming to an end. Kids that went from college to free food, latte bars, arcade rooms, 20% own projects and such are now waking up to a new reality of their first real down cycle. Profits are down or at least not growing, and they have become sacrificial lambs at the altar of capitalism, where you are measured against the value you produce, not the coolness of your projects. So it goes.

LatteLazy 4y ago
Yeah. I am sort of sympathetic. The same thing has been happening at my company over the last year. We are a startup but we're up to 180 people now and when you're looking to raise and starting to think about a buyer/IPO etc then things get more and more efficient. That's just life. I think Google (and other FAANGs) did really well to remain innovative and start-up-y for so long. But "gravity always wins in the end" It must be a bit bitter for people who recently started at these companies. I think a lot of people worked very hard for a long time to "get in". They expected guaranteed employment for life, perks galore, etc. They had "arrived". And now its all evaporating. That's not fair really. But I don't think anyone did it on purpose. I think people just forgot that middle age comes to all companies eventually...