Google

Yes, Google. Interesting subject for a blog post by a writer, huh? I think it is. If you think about some things that have really significant influence on our lives these days, Google has to be on that list. Technology in general is changing and shaping our lives in big ways, huge ways but Google in particular is leading the way. Think about it, if you're  a boomer when you were in college and had to do research you went to the library and spent long hours ensconced in the stacks. That's just the way it was done. If you're a Millineum you don't even know what the stacks are. But you sure know your way around the internet and it's not likely that you're going to log on without going to Google at some point. However, Google is no ordinary company. They are a technology company, for sure. But 97% of their revenue comes from advertising. And their revenues last year were in the order of $33B. That's one hell of a lot of advertising. They are a tech company but not really in the business of making and selling computers or software. They do make and sell computers, Chrome Book, Google Glass among them. What little they do produce and sell is highly innovative, out on the edge stuff. They employ some of the best code writers on the planet. And you can bet the code that makes their stuff work is as highly guarded as the formula to Coca-Cola. The two fellows that founded this company are two bright visionaries who found the intersection of luck, fate and hard work and took advantage of everything it had to offer. And of course, they're still there running the company. As far as building a search engine, they hit it out of the park. Practically everyone who uses a computer uses Google. So when you have that many people using your product, if you stick some advertisements on there, literally hundreds of millions of people are going to see them. Ask anyone in the business if advertising works. And if the audience is hundreds of millions around the globe, everyday, need I say more.
As a corporation though, the way it's organized, the way it's run they're probably not any better than the average American company. The two founders who are high level functional managers in the corporation now, are by training programmers. They're not business men trained in finance or marketing or management. They have those types on the payroll but those two just sit around and dream up the wild and crazy stuff the corporation is going to do. And that company does a lot of wild and crazy stuff. They have plenty of money to afford to do wild and crazy stuff. That's a good thing though. We need companies to do wild and crazy stuff. That's the way cool, new things that make life better are created. But in the background they're just an ordinary company with a bunch of jerk-off mid-level managers plodding along. What makes them so successful is not their proficiency and organizational effectiveness. They've got some really good, top-tier people and they're got some muttonheads, just like every other corporation. What makes them different and unique is they came up with something that everyone needs and uses, and it's free. Now tell me, how many companies have done that? You can jump on the internet and find anything, literally, and find it fast with Google. And it's completely free. Yeah, those annoying ads are there but you learn to ignore them. Or at least you think you are ignoring them. Those ads are the vehicle that help sell trillions in goods and services around the world. As long as they keep that search engine out there, keep improving it where they can, and keep it free, the money river will remain at flood stage.
They're coming up with some cutting edge innovation and ideas. I just watched a TED video interview with Larry Page. He talked about bicycles running on wires above the street, automatic cars that drive themselves, and computers that are artificially intelligent. That can think, sort of like people do. And I'm sure some of his wild and crazy ideas will eventually come to fruition. Not one word from him about shareholder value, acquisitions, shedding assets, market share or stock splits. Things you often hear CEO's talk about. He doesn't really know about stuff like that nor does he give a shit. He's busy trying to make the world better and improve life and all that stuff. Do you think the CEO of American General Life Insurance is thinking about the same things Larry Page and Sergei Brin are? If you do you probably also think there is ocean-front property in Arizona. Being the CEO of one of the worlds largest and most innovative companies and your job is to dream up wild and crazy things to make the world better?... All of this made possible by selling ads.