Google Open House

CREDIT: Photos by Robert Scoble
MORE PHOTOS: http://scobleizer.textamerica.com/
HIS WRITE-UP: http://radio.weblogs.com/0001011/2004/11/18.html#a8674 (Scroll down)

The Google Open House tonight was a party of 200 people, visiting a place where 10 people work. It was eerie -- their digs are so new, it looks like a movie set; like there aren't any real software people there yet. They haven't been there long enough to settle in.

Fortunately, there were several Google people from the Mountain View office, as well, and I also talked to a developer from the New York office. Chris and Radmila were there too. I asked a lot of questions.

"Search is finding the information people want."
"The easy part of seach is finding stuff. The hard part is figuring out its relevance."
"The hard part of anything implemented at Google is scale, robustness, and simplicity of UI."
"The best tool for searching blogs is technorati.com."

The most surprising thing to me was how flat and free Google's culture actually is. Their emphasis on DOING is a powerful motor. Thinking by doing is unstoppable.

It felt like early days in any joyously-funded research culture: If you have an idea, implement it. Show people. They shrug at failures, considering those as useful as the successes. I was struck by the lack of blame in the culture. And the trust in massively parallel organic processes -- lots of people just doing, all at once. With, perhaps, for once the rudimentary tools to actually make that work. Or more accurately, the culture of building the tools you need to make it work, as you're working. Do, for the doers, by the doers. Open communication. No silos, no secret society at the top. Small teams. Strong use of tools like threaded email boards discussing everything from which features to do, to what companies to buy. In short -- an impressive unconscious Shared Vision around trusting, sharing, surfing, & using massive information flow.

Another striking thing is how fractally their culture & organization mirrors their product. Friendly, flat, fast and far-reaching. Google's search engine = Google's way of working = Google's organization.

They felt noble, and ennobling.

They also had that best-of-breed puppy vibe. It was incredibly energizing to feel a youthful company. Not youthful in that their people are young -- though most of them are -- but that the company itself is young. Strong. Hopeful. I felt oxygenated. Apple felt like that, back in the day. It is a feeling I associate with a) money coming in by the firehose, b) critical mass of good smart people, and the resources to support them, and c) the projects that seethe around that nutrient-fountain.

My favorite quote of the night:
"If you can delight people -- if you can give them something they love -- there will be ways to make money on it."

I want to believe this is true. Experience in theatre, though, plus some timely insights from my MBA friend Rob, remind me this is not a given. Delight is great... AND there also needs to be a solid business eye kept on the money flow.