I too work for Google, and one of the people who interviewed me had a really interesting team. So I asked to be put on it, and I was.
What "allocation is a joke" experiences have you had?
What "allocation is a joke" experiences have you had?
I met with the team, and told my recruiter that I didn't mind working with them (though it's not clear what would have happened if I had). I was then given a form with room for a dozen teams, and asked to rank my only choice on a scale from 1-10.
You're right that anybody can ask for a team. In practice, most don't realize that they should be discussing allocation before they sign the offer letter, when they have the most leverage.
I know of people asking for and getting put on 'interesting teams' -- only to find themselves idiotically placed, in parts of a shockingly large team that make no sense given their backgrounds and motivations.
It's not the end of the world, but it makes for a tough first year.
I made some other points at http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2801866.