Google's Lost Moonshots

As a tech-adjacent FAANG outsider, I’ve been pondering this for some time and this blog captures what I’ve been thinking for some time now. Eloquently delivered. I think this is accurate yet likely an oversimplification.

My theory is the roots of innovation go much deeper it’s not simply about incentives. When a company reaches a certain size, the goals for the company also shifts. Large companies manage risk away, they refocus on short term shareholder value as opposed to technological disruption, avoiding costly lawsuits, layers upon layers of red tape, internal audits, external audits, consultants. All of these things are the cost of doing business but they all erode innovative freedom and culture. Large companies can avoid a lot of these things but it’s astronomically difficult and when you’re publicly traded on the stock market it’s even harder to do. It’s the same reason startups seem to move so much faster and the massively large companies end up struggling.