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Both Google and Apple have reached this stage at around the same time in my opinion - both are now milking existing users rather than looking for innovative new

Both Google and Apple have reached this stage at around the same time in my opinion - both are now milking existing users rather than looking for innovative new markets or products. Once companies grow to a certain size it seems almost inevitable.

oh_sigh 13y ago
Yeah, self driving cars, google glass, and loon are not innovative new markets at all.
- rythie 13y ago
  Those are all research projects at best, you can't buy any of them and you're not likely to be able to anytime soon.
- grey-area 13y ago
  I'll be interested to see how wholeheartedly they pursue those ventures, and how many turn into real markets, but yes there are definitely potential counter-examples, I'm sure you could think of some for Apple too, like the now seemingly inevitable smart watch. I don't expect something with the impact of the ipod/iphone/google search from either of them now though, and glass to me is completely underwhelming because I have no interest in walking around with a camera on my person linked to google. Ubiquitous networked computing is coming though, and you could say that's a forerunner of it even if it doesn't pan out. However Google's search and advertising business (which funds all the rest) has definitely been more focussed on revenue for a while, and Apple has that same feel to me (as a customer and developer) of a company which has peaked and been taken over by those more interested in generating cash than ideas. Completely understand why you might not agree though.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
ChuckMcM 13y ago
I'm not sure of the 'milking users' (which seems more pejorative than I feel about the situation). It's more of a 'business rules' than 'loose rules.' I was at Google from 2006 to 2010, I arrived just after they decided "mini kitchens" (which were amazing collections of snacks and drinks near every bunch of engineers) needed to be reigned in, and left just after the first of the big purges of non-project projects. I was fortunate that since I had worked for Eric Schmidt at Sun we knew each other enough that I felt comfortable asking him pointed questions, like "Uh, seriously? What does changing out the juice supplier (Odwalla) for a cheaper one do for employess?" And he would often answer with insights into Google 'growing up' in many ways the same way Sun did. Much of the fiscal questions were being driven by Patrick Pichette who was the new CFO and trying to get a handle on where all the money was going, and of course in 2009 there was the economic crash and it really drove home the issue of "How much money is 'too much?'" (answer none) and "How much money do we need for the worse case scenario?" (answer all we can get) and questions of "Gee we burn money like gasoline, what would happen if suddenly nobody wanted to advertise on the Internet?" Those kinds of questions lead to a maturation process around money, and making sure that all the money that could be in the bank, was in the bank. Just good business. Challenging to make compelling user experiences though, although Apple had done so. So long way of saying I don't think that Google is "milking" their customers so much as they are no longer giving quite the value they used to, choosing instead to keep that additional value for themselves.
- iamhungry 13y ago
  choosing instead to keep that additional value for themselves. Google's claim to fame was that they were unbiased, unlike other search engines. Almost all users want to see unbiased results, not ads and roughly half can't tell the difference between ads and non-paid results. What does that do to Google brand once words spreads and reaches most users? Very short sighted strategy, very negligent.

oh_sigh 13y ago

Yeah, self driving cars, google glass, and loon are not innovative new markets at all.

rythie 13y ago
Those are all research projects at best, you can't buy any of them and you're not likely to be able to anytime soon.
grey-area 13y ago
I'll be interested to see how wholeheartedly they pursue those ventures, and how many turn into real markets, but yes there are definitely potential counter-examples, I'm sure you could think of some for Apple too, like the now seemingly inevitable smart watch. I don't expect something with the impact of the ipod/iphone/google search from either of them now though, and glass to me is completely underwhelming because I have no interest in walking around with a camera on my person linked to google. Ubiquitous networked computing is coming though, and you could say that's a forerunner of it even if it doesn't pan out. However Google's search and advertising business (which funds all the rest) has definitely been more focussed on revenue for a while, and Apple has that same feel to me (as a customer and developer) of a company which has peaked and been taken over by those more interested in generating cash than ideas. Completely understand why you might not agree though.
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

ChuckMcM 13y ago

I'm not sure of the 'milking users' (which seems more pejorative than I feel about the situation). It's more of a 'business rules' than 'loose rules.' I was at Google from 2006 to 2010, I arrived just after they decided "mini kitchens" (which were amazing collections of snacks and drinks near every bunch of engineers) needed to be reigned in, and left just after the first of the big purges of non-project projects. I was fortunate that since I had worked for Eric Schmidt at Sun we knew each other enough that I felt comfortable asking him pointed questions, like "Uh, seriously? What does changing out the juice supplier (Odwalla) for a cheaper one do for employess?" And he would often answer with insights into Google 'growing up' in many ways the same way Sun did. Much of the fiscal questions were being driven by Patrick Pichette who was the new CFO and trying to get a handle on where all the money was going, and of course in 2009 there was the economic crash and it really drove home the issue of "How much money is 'too much?'" (answer none) and "How much money do we need for the worse case scenario?" (answer all we can get) and questions of "Gee we burn money like gasoline, what would happen if suddenly nobody wanted to advertise on the Internet?" Those kinds of questions lead to a maturation process around money, and making sure that all the money that could be in the bank, was in the bank. Just good business. Challenging to make compelling user experiences though, although Apple had done so. So long way of saying I don't think that Google is "milking" their customers so much as they are no longer giving quite the value they used to, choosing instead to keep that additional value for themselves.

iamhungry 13y ago
choosing instead to keep that additional value for themselves. Google's claim to fame was that they were unbiased, unlike other search engines. Almost all users want to see unbiased results, not ads and roughly half can't tell the difference between ads and non-paid results. What does that do to Google brand once words spreads and reaches most users? Very short sighted strategy, very negligent.