Google 2021 is Microsoft 2001. It's like they switched places.
If Google had a leadership change and a new vision, maybe it'd be an exciting company again.
If you recall Steve Jobs coming back to Apple - Apple was going to go bankrupt. That was the only reason he was allowed back in - as a hail mary play.
Google, Microsoft, etc, are successful, profitable companies with lots of MBAs earning cushy paycheques, deciding what the new re-designed logos are going to look like. They'll never let anyone who hasn't rotted their brains away for a few decades in. You know, same as politics.
(Do I win worst analogy of the year award?)
The past 7 years or so has been year after year of trying to milk as much profit out of what was arguably the best, most exciting internet success stories ever. It's just sad.
Apple seems to be milking their cash cow as well, but at least they are still managing to crank out some fantastic projects to drive growth and interest.
I think we could all clean our own elephant's cage every once in a while. Do we, however?
I'm all for wishful thinking but from personal experience, the times when I made significant positive changes in my life, it didn't come from self determination, creativity or passion, it came from having to do it because there was little choice in the matter.
I don't expect companies to operate any differently, the cynic in me would even expect less of them than I do of myself. Given that's the case, I don't expect any company to do cool new things, I expect new people to bring something new to the table and for old curmudgeons to not get in the way too much.
My problem with entities that hold power, is that they just don't want to die. It works out with humans because we have no say in the matter (although, we keep living longer which's a problem :P), but when it comes to organized religions, corporations, political allegiances, superstitions, etc, these old dreadful beasts can last hundreds of years!
We need some brave dragon slayers to combat these creatures but instead we seem to be glorifying all sorts of non-sense and hoping the dragons act in benevolent manner instead of hoarding ever-more gold to sleep on top of. Perhaps our culture itself has become a monster of sorts and needs an update :)
So much so. Except Google's influence does not seem to be growing. I'm not sure it's fair to say it's peaked. GOOG and FB are the 2 FAANG stocks I won't own. GOOG because people don't seem to love their product any more and they don't seem to have the leverage FB has. FB because the company is run by a complete douchebag. Both have a lot of regulatory risk. Though if I'm honest, Amazon and Apple do too.