Here’s the skinny. Google is still Google but it’s also Alphabet. Alphabet will replace Google but it won’t be a search engine. Confused? Good, so you have a good reason to read through this post.
If you’ve ever had a nervous breakdown, chances are you saw a shrink. After coughing up a fortune, you’ll get the same expert advice I got – Step back, reflect; Take it easy, you may be doing too many things; Reorder, Prioritise; Look outside yourself, Lend a helping hand; Smell the Roses (the same advice you’d probably get if you’d just googled, “How to not to die young”, or “How to stay focused and maintain your A game”, but you know how you rich types like to splurge).
Well, I’m guessing (and this is a calculated guess) the Google founders visited the company shrink. Why? Well, again this is a calculated guess, but the death of Google plus was probably a deep blow to the company, and determined not to let such a thing happen again, the duo of Larry and Sergey visited the resident psychiatrist.
And they got that oh-so rare advice – Step back, reflect; Take it easy, you may be doing too many things; Reorder, Prioritise; Look outside yourself, Lend a helping hand; Smell the Roses.
Here’s why:
In a surprising move, on Monday August 10, co-founder of Google, Larry Page, announced via press release that he and his partner Sergey Brin were creating a new company named Alphabet. How come?
Step back, reflect
The press release starts with the founder’s trip down memory lane. Approximately, 11 years back. “As Sergey and I wrote in the original founders letter 11 years ago, Google is not a conventional company. We do not intend to become one. From the start, we’ve always strived to do more, and to do important and meaningful things with the resources we have.”
Take it easy, you may be trying to do too many things
The duo realized they may have created one too many “companies that are pretty far afield of our main internet products…. What do we mean by far afield? Good examples are our health efforts: Life Sciences (that works on the glucose-sensing contact lens), and Calico (focused on longevity).” Other companies and products the Google team had been working on include Nest, a company making internet-dependent home devices, Fiber, which provides high-speed internet, and Google X, which is researching self driving cars and drones. “Our company is operating well today, but we think we can make it cleaner and more accountable”, the press release said.
Reorder. Prioritise.
“So we are creating a new company, called Alphabet. I am really excited to be running Alphabet as CEO with help from my capable partner, Sergey, as President.”
What is Alphabet? Alphabet is a collection of companies, what Google was fast becoming. All previous Google products and companies which have been tagged far afield will be moved directly under Alphabet Inc. along with the newer Google which “is a bit slimmed down” and sexier.
Alphabet Inc. will replace Google Inc. as the publicly-traded entity while all Google shares will convert into the same number of shares of Alphabet. Now, Google can focus on being itself.
Look outside yourself. Lend a helping hand.
The restructuring caused significant shake ups in job roles and responsibilities. A bunch of people got promotions most notably, Sundar Pichai who is now the new CEO of slim Google (yup, I called it that first).
In the release, Mr. Page spoke about Pichai, saying, “It is clear to us and our board that it is time for Sundar to be CEO of Google. I feel very fortunate to have someone as talented as he is to run the slightly slimmed down Google and this frees up time for me to continue to scale our aspirations.”
Smell the roses.
Anyone who knows this shrink should please give me his number. The advice worked like a charm. Google stocks shot up by 5% immediately after the announcement.
Now that’s expert advice!
Photo Credit: Simon Q via Compfight cc
