Brian S. Hall Hates Google

Brian S. Hall has posted a super-harsh smack-down of Google entitled “How Do I Hate Google? Let Me Count the Ways.”  (Link is to Business Insider repost because the original post includes offensive language that detracts from his points.)  As a big fan of a lot of what Google has done (noted here and here for example), I am not sure I agree with Brian’s rant on all fronts, but I do think it is a valuable perspective that is worth having out there in the mix.   There were a couple areas, however, where I think we are in total agreement, and I mentioned both of them in my post on Google+.  Here are those excerpts from my original post:

The “Other Agenda” Effect

Google’s real goals with Google+ are to protect its search advertising business and to force other social networks to open up their social graph to the Big-G’s search index.  Google doesn’t need to monetize Google+, so it will be less likely to be cluttered with ads and corporate facebook pages (or at least with stupid, ugly, blinky, bandwidth-hogging ones).  I say this to entrepreneurs all the time: never underestimate a market entrant who views success in your market as essential to their success in something far bigger and more important.  These entrants might stumble and blunder around a bit, and it is sometimes possible to out-maneuver them or thrive on the edges.  But it is almost never possible to out-spend them or out-last them.

Fast Follower Advantage

I am always puzzled when entrepreneurs tell me their company is a winner because they have the “first mover advantage.”  Yes, if you can move so quickly and decisively into a market that you become such a de facto standard that no one can unseat you, you can control a market.  Great, go for it.  That is certainly what AOL thought they had.  And Netscape.  And Yahoo!  And Microsoft with Windows or nearly with IE6.  And of course Facebook thought so with the nearly billion users and billions in advertising dollars.  But first movers should always fear the fast follower who gets to sit back and watch what works and what doesn’t and jump in with a clean-sheet approach incorporating all the best of what has worked and avoiding the worst of what hasn’t.  You think Google might have learned a few things from watching Twitter and Facebook?  How about from screwing up Orkut, Wave & Buzz?  Me too.  Welcome to Google+.

Why Google+ Will be a Big Win for Google (and the rest of us)

How Do I Hate Google? Let Me Count the Ways

Speak Your Mind

*

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload the CAPTCHA.