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Comment by goronbjorn | Hacker News Reader

Google doesn't have any engineering problems, that's for sure. They want Google+ to succeed (assuming that's what he'd be involved with), but I think it's fair to say the problems they're struggling with there are at the "idea/design" level as opposed to the actual codebase.

Say what you want about Kevin Rose in terms of things he's created, but he does have a very good eye for great ideas, see early investments in Fab, Path, Zynga, Square, Foursquare, Twitter for evidence of that.

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This is true but Google has always been an engineering-led organization as opposed to a product-led one. Social networking is less of an engineering problem than it is a product problem. This is true for other social products as well.

Fundamentally, Google is taking the wrong approach. Listen to how Vic Gundotra talks about Google+ as opposed to how Zuckerberg talks about Facebook.

This may be a step in the right direction but it will mean more than just hiring idea people. Those people need to have real power in the org if they are going to make a difference.

It's more likely that Kevin Rose will end up like Dennis Crowley. He'll try his hand at Google, will realize that he can't make much of a difference given his position and leave in a few years to scratch that itch at another startup.

"Listen to how Vic Gundotra talks about Google+ as opposed to how Zuckerberg talks about Facebook."

Many similarities and differences in how they talk--which particular differences do you have in mind?

"Vic's" ego is getting bigger. That usually spells failure.

"...ego is getting bigger. That usually spells failure."

Many historical counter-examples.

In his case, it seems to be making him dumber. Sloppy. He's starting to believe his BS. Doesn't matter now, but if it keeps up..

I think you've deluded yourself into thinking you can read minds. Vic knows better then you or any of us exactly how much G+ is getting it's ass handed to it and not just by FB.

http://www.google.com/insights/search/#q=Google%20Plus%2CRed...

He still has a job to spin it in the most positive way and anyone else in his position would be forced to say the same things.

What does my comment have to do with reading minds?

And it "doesn't matter now, but if it keeps up.."

"He's starting to believe..."

"Wilma"

WTF?

People probably don't search for Google Plus on Google.

The other thing he's done well is engage his audience. If he can help Google+ become more engaging, more 'sticky', then he'll have done great. That's assuming he'll be working on that product.

Except the Digg redo (which he was a part of) drove users away, so if he ever actually HAD that touch, it is as likely he lost it as anything.

However, the Digg redesign was prematurely deployed because the old code could simply no longer handle the load. At least that was the story. Who knows what it could have been if it were released on the intended schedule.

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