“A Healthy Disregard of the Impossible”
The Google Story
David A. Vise and Mark Malseed

Reviewed by Vernon Bryce – Kenexa

Googol – noun, modern: 1 followed by 100 zeros – Standard Oxford Dictionary

Thus began the impossible dream of Sergey Brin and Larry Page—the “hottest business media and technology success of our time,” who set out to transform the world of Search. Soon, google moved from being a word Brin and Page had coined to spawning a vocabulary of its own —google, google economics, googling, googleplex and googleware, for example. Describing their journey to sensational success from what originated as a grad school project, this is a riveting read for those drawn to fast and sustained global growth in technology enterprise in the dotcom era.

Some current Google metrics:

• Sales of $200,000 in 1999 rising to $6 billion by 2005
• Some 64 million daily Google users in 100 languages globally
• Zero value to more than $120 billon in their first eight years
• Zero cost to web searchers—a revolution in its time
• Lots of food, fun, gadgets, sports and parties
• Topped Fortune’s 2007 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For

There were immense challenges along the way, all described year by year in Vise’s book. There are some telling milestone events as well—e.g., as 22-year-old Ph.D. students at Stanford University, they had “this crazy idea to download the entire Web,” figuring it would take a week to process the existing 300 million pages.

They borrowed cash, rented a garage, ran out of cash. In 1998, they met Andy Bechtolsheim, co-founder of Sun Microsystems. Inspired by their quest for a search engine that just “ought to be” rather than make money, he decided to invest in Google.

Their search for talented people to “bring the latest and greatest technology to the Web” led them to devise 10 reasons to work for Google, including “cool technology, stock options, free snacks and drinks, and the proposition that millions of people will use and appreciate their software.”

As they grew, venture capitalists advised injecting additional leadership. Thus began their journey with Eric Schmidt (ex-Novell and ex-Sun), who became their CEO. Through fires, 9/11, legal actions and tough competition, their principles brought them through turbulent times.

Their dream is just beginning, Vise suggests; next will be their fusion of science and information technology—specifically genetics. Through Google.org, they will empower millions of individuals with the information needed to lead to healthier and smarter living —simply because Google can store a lot of information cheaply.

Impossible? Let’s wait and see.

About the Reviewer
Vernon Bryce is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist, Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. He is a trained Management Consultant and holds a Diploma in Business Administration. He is a founder and Managing Director of Kenexa-London, leading teams of Employee Survey, Assessment and Talent Management researchers and consultants.

Over a thirty-year career he has worked in senior line HR positions in High tech and Hospitality sectors, and in behavioral science and HR consulting roles in PA and KPMG. He has developed teams in a wide range of companies and has held academic posts in a Business School. Vernon has consulted and worked in engineering, power generation, hard rock mining, government bodies, financial services, and chemical and oil industries in many countries, principally in Europe. He has been an executive coach and TQM specialist; his main specialty is in Organizational Development and Assessment and Talent Assessment Solutions partnering with clients.