5 ms·

How does this square with Google’s reputation for releasing and then abandoning many, many products? Like their dozen chat apps, Stadia, seemingly every other A

How does this square with Google’s reputation for releasing and then abandoning many, many products? Like their dozen chat apps, Stadia, seemingly every other Alphabet subsidiary, etc. It seems like Google is pretty good at releasing things, just not at following though on supporting them to become a real line of business. The perception that Google can’t release seems new and odd to me as an outsider.

blululu 4y ago
One of the author's primary critiques is that nobody cares about the users/customers. All actions are aimed at an internal audience rather than an external audience. Thus product releases are done for internal reasons (i.e. impressing senior managers and getting promoted). They aren't done for the sake of external customer/users - hence the lack any long term commitment.
- oh_sigh 4y ago
  This rings true to me. I worked at Google after being at Amazon for a few years and the customer focus was like night and day.
  - ggm 4y ago
    Amazon must hate it's customers. Otherwise, why would they try to sell me books "in the style of" an author before they sell me the books BY THE AUTHOR when I search on author name? Hint: I asked Amazonians. They told me it generates higher revenue for them, and so "works as required". I know nobody who wants, or expects this behaviour in a search box.
    - midoridensha 4y ago
      Obviously, Amazon makes more money doing this. People who really just want books from that author will scroll past the other authors to the rest of the results with that author, but many people will spot something else and look at that (in addition to the author they're actually searching for), and then buy more books overall. And people who get really annoyed by these extra unwanted results will just complain on tech discussion forums, while still buying their books from Amazon anyway.
      - ggm 4y ago
        > Obviously, Amazon makes more money doing this. Thats a very interesting spin on "more customer service oriented" or some similar view I was responding to. > And people who get really annoyed by these extra unwanted results will just complain on tech discussion forums, while still buying their books from Amazon anyway. Guilty as charged. But an Onyx "boox" is in my future, and I'll be able to deal with Google, Kindle, Kobo, and Calibre sourced books through Android readers on a passive display. At that point, I will be much more interested in other sources of reading material which know "Scott Turow" is a person, not a style.
        midoridensha 4y ago
        >Thats a very interesting spin on "more customer service oriented" or some similar view I was responding to. The problem I see with a lot of people in these discussions is that they think "happy customers" => "more revenue". This isn't true in many cases. Many times, pissing off customers will make more money. Just look at Comcast. The sociopaths who run big corporations figured this out long ago and that's why these companies make money. They're able to easily take advantage of peoples' naivety and assumptions that other people are like them.
        ggm 4y ago
        100% this. the ARPU goes down as a function of helpdesk? easier not to have one, than fix the underlying problems which cause people to seek one. This is where google excels: no helpdesk! (unfair: there is one, you have to be in paid tier like google one, and they are excellent)
        midoridensha 4y ago
        Exactly. To really understand how corporations work, and why they do some of the things they do, you have to think like a sociopath.
      - wpietri 4y ago
        > And people who get really annoyed by these extra unwanted results will just complain on tech discussion forums, while still buying their books from Amazon anyway. For a while! But I've now made Amazon my second source for things because the user experience has declined so much over the years. Now I buy books via my local bookstore's website. And for anything else, I'll try to buy via the manufacturer or via something found on Google Shopping before I'll buy it from Google. I still spend money with them, but much less than I used to. And as their devotion to profit first, customers last increases, I expect to keep edging away from them.
amf12 4y ago
I agree. Its not releasing products that's a problem, its having a long term vision and commitment. I always see two conflicting takes on HN. That Google abandons their products or they haven't done anything recently. Not every product can be a worldwide success, but how do you know it until you try and fail or succeed? Failing means abandoning it. I'd like it if Google frequently creates new products marked Beta for a long time and making them core-products depending on their success. After that, I'd also like it if we stop blaming Google for "killing" products. The problem is Google releases new products without a Beta tag, even when they aren't sure if they will succeed or not.

blululu 4y ago

One of the author's primary critiques is that nobody cares about the users/customers. All actions are aimed at an internal audience rather than an external audience. Thus product releases are done for internal reasons (i.e. impressing senior managers and getting promoted). They aren't done for the sake of external customer/users - hence the lack any long term commitment.

oh_sigh 4y ago
This rings true to me. I worked at Google after being at Amazon for a few years and the customer focus was like night and day.
- ggm 4y ago
  Amazon must hate it's customers. Otherwise, why would they try to sell me books "in the style of" an author before they sell me the books BY THE AUTHOR when I search on author name? Hint: I asked Amazonians. They told me it generates higher revenue for them, and so "works as required". I know nobody who wants, or expects this behaviour in a search box.
  - midoridensha 4y ago
    Obviously, Amazon makes more money doing this. People who really just want books from that author will scroll past the other authors to the rest of the results with that author, but many people will spot something else and look at that (in addition to the author they're actually searching for), and then buy more books overall. And people who get really annoyed by these extra unwanted results will just complain on tech discussion forums, while still buying their books from Amazon anyway.
    - ggm 4y ago
      > Obviously, Amazon makes more money doing this. Thats a very interesting spin on "more customer service oriented" or some similar view I was responding to. > And people who get really annoyed by these extra unwanted results will just complain on tech discussion forums, while still buying their books from Amazon anyway. Guilty as charged. But an Onyx "boox" is in my future, and I'll be able to deal with Google, Kindle, Kobo, and Calibre sourced books through Android readers on a passive display. At that point, I will be much more interested in other sources of reading material which know "Scott Turow" is a person, not a style.
      - midoridensha 4y ago
        >Thats a very interesting spin on "more customer service oriented" or some similar view I was responding to. The problem I see with a lot of people in these discussions is that they think "happy customers" => "more revenue". This isn't true in many cases. Many times, pissing off customers will make more money. Just look at Comcast. The sociopaths who run big corporations figured this out long ago and that's why these companies make money. They're able to easily take advantage of peoples' naivety and assumptions that other people are like them.
        ggm 4y ago
        100% this. the ARPU goes down as a function of helpdesk? easier not to have one, than fix the underlying problems which cause people to seek one. This is where google excels: no helpdesk! (unfair: there is one, you have to be in paid tier like google one, and they are excellent)
        midoridensha 4y ago
        Exactly. To really understand how corporations work, and why they do some of the things they do, you have to think like a sociopath.
    - wpietri 4y ago
      > And people who get really annoyed by these extra unwanted results will just complain on tech discussion forums, while still buying their books from Amazon anyway. For a while! But I've now made Amazon my second source for things because the user experience has declined so much over the years. Now I buy books via my local bookstore's website. And for anything else, I'll try to buy via the manufacturer or via something found on Google Shopping before I'll buy it from Google. I still spend money with them, but much less than I used to. And as their devotion to profit first, customers last increases, I expect to keep edging away from them.

amf12 4y ago

I agree. Its not releasing products that's a problem, its having a long term vision and commitment. I always see two conflicting takes on HN. That Google abandons their products or they haven't done anything recently. Not every product can be a worldwide success, but how do you know it until you try and fail or succeed? Failing means abandoning it. I'd like it if Google frequently creates new products marked Beta for a long time and making them core-products depending on their success. After that, I'd also like it if we stop blaming Google for "killing" products. The problem is Google releases new products without a Beta tag, even when they aren't sure if they will succeed or not.