Google in the Red Zone
March 27, 2011
The “red zone” in American football means an area in which a team can and often is expected to score. I don’t want to go out on a limb or offer too much commentary. I think the two stories greeting me after de-planing from my Hong Kong flight speak loudly.
First, be sure to read “Google: A New Tool for US Intelligence?” The source is good old NPR, an organization in the minds of budget conscious regulators when I left a few days ago. The story contains this statement:
Still, Google Trends can’t predict the future. But it could be one more tool for intelligence officials who want to tap into the private conversations that could spark popular movements.
Too bad the story did not mention the In-Q-Tel and alleged Google investment in Recorded Future. Wonder why? Not me.
Second, you may want to give “At Google, Page Aims to Clear Red Tape.” If the link goes dark or you have to pay to read the story, there’s not much I can do. I found this passage interesting:
Some managers believe Mr. Page will eliminate or downgrade projects he doesn’t believe are worthwhile, freeing up employees to work on more important initiatives, these people said. One project expected to get less support is Google Health, which lets people store medical records and other health data on Google’s servers, said people familiar with the matter. Mr. Page has also tried to facilitate better communication among top executives and give employees access to them. He recently mandated a “bullpen” session every afternoon, in which he and the company’s executive officers sit and work on small couches outside a board room in Building 43 at Google’s headquarters.
I have a good feel for the “controlled chaos” approach at Google. My question, “Will Xooglers who implement management methods nurtured at Google be able to hit their revenue targets? My hunch is that Google methods are likely to create some significant management challenges and may exacerbate existing problems. Just what the US Department of Commerce needs.
The coverage of Google is becoming more an more interesting in my opinion. After more that a decade in business the “scrutiny” of Google remains oddly disconnected from the realities of the company which has one way of generating revenue.
Stephen E Arnold, March 27, 2011
Freebie often like lunch
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2 Responses to “Google in the Red Zone”
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I was wondering the same thing when I listened to the episode live on NPR. Where was Recorded Future? It seems like a missed opportunity. Hope to hear about RF on a similar episode in the future.
Jim | @jimstorer
My question is who’s the Doug Carlin looking 4 days forward?