5 ms·

Sebastian has a whole team and much more than a year! But an average Googler gets their 20% time, plus a real chance to pitch for more resources. The (relativ

Sebastian has a whole team and much more than a year! But an average Googler gets their 20% time, plus a real chance to pitch for more resources. The (relatively flat) management chain is very open to great ideas regardless of where they come from, and willing to invest in them if they're sufficiently good. Mind you that bar isn't met all that often, but it does happen with some regularity. I wouldn't go to Google for the sole purpose of pursuing your own idea there, but you should feel confident that if you have a great one, you'll be given a chance to make a case for it. This is from the perspective of a Seattle Google employee, so I don't think location is an issue.

svdad 14y ago
Seconded. 20% time is still real, if you ask/push for it. If your idea fits somewhere under the broad umbrella of your group's mandate, so much the better. I have to disagree a little with one of the earlier points, though. Through start-up acquisitions, Google is getting a lot more groups with the developer/hacker mindset. Those groups tend to keep to themselves and rail against Google's slow pace, and often eventually quit. Google could learn from that mentality, but equally those developers could learn from Google's methodical approach. In my (limited) experience Google could do much better at integrating newly acquired start-up teams into the overall corporate culture and development philosophy.
- danshapiro 14y ago
  One could always do better, I suppose. But Google has a better post-acquisition retention rate than any other company I know. (Disclaimer: I've been acquired, and so far, retained!)
plinkplonk 14y ago
"Sebastian has a whole team and much more than a year!" of course. sorry that was sloppy writing on my part. Edited. "This is from the perspective of a Seattle Google employee, so I don't think location is an issue." Oh I was thinking more Bangalore or Buenos Aires, not Seattle vs Mountain View (though I keep hearing that the really cool projects are run out of MV, with the occasional exception like the V8 work) The real key to doing such work might be "become a superstar and do cutting edge work" ;-) . Then the fact that you work at Google is just a detail.

svdad 14y ago

Seconded. 20% time is still real, if you ask/push for it. If your idea fits somewhere under the broad umbrella of your group's mandate, so much the better. I have to disagree a little with one of the earlier points, though. Through start-up acquisitions, Google is getting a lot more groups with the developer/hacker mindset. Those groups tend to keep to themselves and rail against Google's slow pace, and often eventually quit. Google could learn from that mentality, but equally those developers could learn from Google's methodical approach. In my (limited) experience Google could do much better at integrating newly acquired start-up teams into the overall corporate culture and development philosophy.

danshapiro 14y ago
One could always do better, I suppose. But Google has a better post-acquisition retention rate than any other company I know. (Disclaimer: I've been acquired, and so far, retained!)

plinkplonk 14y ago

"Sebastian has a whole team and much more than a year!" of course. sorry that was sloppy writing on my part. Edited. "This is from the perspective of a Seattle Google employee, so I don't think location is an issue." Oh I was thinking more Bangalore or Buenos Aires, not Seattle vs Mountain View (though I keep hearing that the really cool projects are run out of MV, with the occasional exception like the V8 work) The real key to doing such work might be "become a superstar and do cutting edge work" ;-) . Then the fact that you work at Google is just a detail.