POP 202 Thursday, 14 January 2010

Today’s Pop is Dasha and Shala. They are our heros, because somehow they got invited to go to the Google headquarters (jealous, we are). They came back to us with this report. Googleplex forever baby!

(bicycles used for commuting between buildings).

We were graciously welcomed by Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt who had lunch with us at Google’s Mexican Diner. At Googleplex as it is affectionately called, there are about 14 different eateries. That does not include what “Googlers” call micro kitchens, that can be found every 100 feet. It’s founders Sergey Brin and Lawrence Page believe that staff should never be hungry, as a hungry googler is not efficient. In addition to the micro kitchen Dasha and I helped our selves to frozen yogurt in wafer cones at an ice-cream stand. Apparently there is a genius pastry chef at one of its kitchens, who makes devilish crème brule and croissants. By the way all of the food is free and all of the eateries are run by Google. Are you getting the drift here, Googlers are happy people.

(Google’s outdoor cafe where a different band performs every day in the summer).

So happy that Andrew, who gave us a tour of Googleplex, in reasoning the 3 minute response time he is allotted to address a problem (it used to be 24 hours) ecstatically exclaims, “we love our users.” I would be in a good mood too if I could play volleyball at work, get a massage, learn to salsa or dance hip-hop or listen to performers such as John Legend in the summer at google’s outside café. Imagine that the masseuse could have a chat with one of google’s lead economists at lunch. Mr. Schmidt explains that ideas often come from unexpected places and therefore the democratic stance of Googleplex is really its driving force.

(The Geo Display.  To the left South America and on the right the dark continent Africa).

Google’s 20% time is a prime example of how its philosophy only helps to push the company forward. Engineers are allowed to work at other departments that they are passionate about 20% of their time. That’s how gmail was developed. Its author developed it in his 20% time.

(A view out the window).

What about Google’s users? At several points on the complex there is a screen that shows in real time what the world is searching. One interesting inquiry: “what are they dropping my blood in at donation.” I’m going to Google that as well. There is also a program called “Geo Display”. It’s a rotating globe that shows in real time where searches are originating. The ones that stood out were South America, as it seems no one in the Amazon uses the Internet and so it’s a dark spot on the globe. Africa is still literally a dark continent as far as Google goes, there seems to be almost no inquires coming from there either. It would appear that Africa is the one place in the populated world with no technological rays of light.

(I don’t really know anyone who loves commuting to any job. But after going to Googleplex i understand why.  There was apparently a point when staff would even sleep in their cubicles).

All in all we’re talking about a 14-year-old company started by two Stanford University PhD students. In such a short space of time it has created a revolutionary culture in the corporate world starting with two employees and just 14 years later becoming a worldwide corporation with close to 20 thousand HAPPY employees. It seems like the sun never sets on Google. And as Andrew said in reference to playing volleyball in the cold, “we herd the nerds!”

(One of Googleplex’s micro kitchens).

---