Google To Change Product Development Steps; Means Major Changes To “20% Time”
Nov 17, 2008 at 9:16am ET by Barry Schwartz
Google looks to users’ needs from the Australian IT reports that Google’s Stuart Smith, their new strategic planning director of Google’s Creative Lab in New York, is seeking to change how Google develops its products. Instead of Googler’s developing things they personally find useful, Google seems like they may change that process to see what audiences really want.
Says Stuart Smith: “What typically happens is it is just a load of engineers producing a load of things and then refining until it finds an audience.” What Smith wants to see is for Google “to look at audiences and understand audiences and say ‘perhaps there is a need over here — let’s meet that need’.” In short, it seems to me that Google wants to change its product development philosophy, which is famous for coming up with ideas like Google Reader, Gmail, AdSense and tons of other popular products. Yes, these mostly came from Google’s “twenty-percent time.”
If Google now decides to research what people outside of Google want and then make their employees fill those needs, wouldn’t that do away with the 20% time? Or will Google continue to allow their employees to use the 20% time to do what they want and add this in as an additional layer? As Smith said, “particularly going into a recession, it is going to be very interesting because we are going to have to justify our actions.”
Is this the beginning of the end to Google’s philosophy and culture, or am I just being paranoid?
Share, Bookmark & Discuss This Article
More:
Keep Updated: News Via Email | News Via RSS Feed | News Via Twitter
See more stories like this in the Members Library! Check out the Google: Business Issues, Google: Employees sections of the Members Library where this story is filed. Members also get access to exclusive video content, a members-only weekly & monthly newsletter, plus more. Check out all the benefits!
TOP STORIES
SEARCH NEWS BRIEFS
FEATURES & ANALYSIS
RECENT COMMNENTS
- Dudibob said " :O that's a Storm Trooper, not Vader! Interesting way to get a coffee at Yahoo lol"
- claydo said " I agree with you @chiropractic. Check out http://www.search3.com/ as an easy way to compare them. It"
- claydo said " This a great article. There's also a great article by Stanley Bing in the latest Time magazine about"
FREE DAILY SEARCH NEWS RECAP!
Stay on top of all the search news with our daily summary, the SearchCap newsletter. View a sample ›
STAY CURRENT THROUGHOUT THE DAY
Search Engine Land produces SMX, the Search Marketing Expo conference series. SMX events deliver the most comprehensive educational and networking experiences - whether you're just starting in search marketing or you're a seasoned expert.
SMX Web Site » | SMX Difference » | SMX News »
Join us at an upcoming SMX event:
- SMX São Paulo - August 4-5
- SMX East - October 5-7, 2009
- SMX Stockholm - 12-13 October, 2009
- SMX Mexico - November 11, 2009
Learn more about search marketing with our free online webcasts and webinars from our sister site, Search Marketing Now. Upcoming online events include:
- How Large Offline Marketers Drive Superior Search Marketing Results - July 21, 2009
- Trademarks, Brand Terms and PPC Advertising: Updates You Must Know - July
22, 2009
- Attribution Management Buyers Guide - July 28, 2009
TRACK US SOCIALLY
- Wall Street Journal Recommended Reading
- Ad Age Power 150 Blog
- Technorati Top 100 Blog
- Techmeme Leaderboard Source
- Best Search Engine Community/Forum
Featured sites from our Blogroll
Get Your Search Engine Land
Premium Membership!
Become a premium member today and receive:
- Express commenting privileges & photo.
- Exclusive videos & newsletters.
- Discounts to our SMX conferences.
- Access to "How To" & Other Archives.
© 2009 Third Door Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Google, Yahoo & Microsoft logos trademark respective companies and used with permission.
