What elements of Google do I want to recreate in my own start-up?
This is my last week at Google, before jumping in full-time to launch an EdTech start-up with a co-founder. Looking back at the last 3 years at Google from the lens of a soon-to-be-Xoogler, it dawned on me that this truly is a special place.
It’s funny. Just a month ago, an intern was about to wrap up his internship. For a week straight, he repeated over and over, “Man, I’m going to miss this place.” At the time, I didn’t think much about it. Well, fate is a funny thing. Now that I’m at the same juncture, I can’t help but share the exact same sentiment.
“Man, I’m going to miss this place.”
Countless articles have been written about Google, its culture, its hiring practice, its operations, and everything else in between. And they are all great. At the same time, I believe the impression a company leaves on an individual is fundamentally personal — differences in circumstance lead to different take-aways.
As I start my own venture — building out our own culture every step along the way — I asked myself a question: what elements of Google’s culture and working at Google do I want to recreate in my own work environment?
So, this is a very personal take on the impression Google has left on me.
Here are the 5 things about working at Google that I will do my best to recreate:
1. Being at the epicenter of technology
No surprise here: Google is at the epicenter of technology. What continues to amaze me is the availability of information. Every day, I receive a feed of internal news, industry news, and cool new products coming out of the various product areas.
Without much effort, I am reminded of both the news and undercurrent of technology. Over the last three years, that has helped me build an acute understanding of the tech world and its trajectory.
To recreate this: I will subscribe to industry news, and pay even more attention to “state of the world” summaries like Mary Meeker. I will actively schedule coffee chats with friends at different tech companies to get their thoughts. I will carve out time on a regular basis to digest information.
2. Casual, diverse, and fun workplace
My team of 15 represents 10 nationalities, and that’s not atypical at Google. Combined with a thoughtfully-designed open floorspace, which keeps interactions casual, Google creates an environment that fosters spontaneous ideas.
One case in point is the micro-kitchen (MK). A side benefit of the MK is to encourage spontaneous conversations among people on different teams, and it actually works! I’ve had many conversations while grabbing snacks and water with other teams, which resulted in new ideas for our projects.
To recreate this: Spend more casual time with my co- workers, where we are not actively thinking about work: walks, coffee, lunch. Surround myself with people that think differently and have different backgrounds, and be willing to listen — they will be my teachers.
3. Extraordinary openness and transparency
At Google, we have TGIF (our weekly all-hands), where Larry and Sergey make an appearance every week. Execs share updates and are directly accessible for questions. Teams make open and no-secret-withheld presentations on projects from all areas.
Another manifestation of transparency is our internal search, where all documents across Google can be found. The default of “share with all Googlers” is a tremendously powerful one. Similarly, almost all code is available to all employees to find, import, build, and improve.
There is rarely (and it is very rare) situations where information is withheld from employees. As a result, we all feel invested in the company’s success.
To recreate this: This is hard, and it comes from a core belief of the leadership team. There are companies that are equally successful, but operates behind a veil of secrecy. I will make a commitment to be open, and ask my team to keep me honest.
4. Trust and smart people
Google has a notoriously high hiring bar, and the result is a group of tremendously smart and accomplished employees. Working with smart people is great. Beyond all the expected benefits — productivity, creativity, great work — it fosters a sense of trust.
Let me explain. Googlers tend to give each other the benefit of the doubt by default, which goes like this: we are all smart people, and there must be some good reason behind decision X which I don’t agree with; let’s hear it first.
We don’t do it perfectly at Google, but a willingness to accept this creates a culture of inherent trust rather than skepticism. And I believe that’s a big pillar that supports a 50,000-people enterprise.
To recreate this: This is probably the hardest. Similar to transparency, it also derives from leadership. It’s about being comfortable with vulnerability. It’s also about doing due diligence on the people I surround myself with.
5. Optimism
Lastly, despite all the turbulence that is happening in the outside world, Googlers are an especially optimistic bunch. A few factors contribute to this in my opinion. 1) The company is doing crazy futuristic things. 2) The company is growing and continues to perform phenomenally. 3) Employees trust that the company will take care of them, and feel safe (think Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs).
To recreate this: 1) and 2) are given, of course we’d all want that! What stood out to me is 3), and that investment in employees is fundamentally a sound investment, because people is the biggest asset. So, do cool things, and take care of people.