Is Google struggling, though? I think only in comparison to a particular set of expectations or aspirations that people have for it, right? Personally I share those aspirations for Google - which I believe is still one of the shining lights of our industry in my working lifetime - but there is nothing fundamentally wrong with large risk-averse stable businesses.

The author of this article clearly prefers the excitement and constant breakneck forward momentum of startups - and that's fair enough for him! - but that doesn't imply it is the objective ideal way for a company to be.