What Would Google Do?

1. Give Control to the People: The Power of Open Systems

Give the people control and we will use it. Don't, and you will lose us.

Empower your customers. In the digital age, companies that give users control over their experiences thrive, while those that cling to old models of centralized power struggle. Google's success stems from its ability to harness user-generated data and content, creating a virtuous cycle of improvement.

Open beats closed. Open systems, like Android or Linux, tend to outperform closed ones in the long run. They benefit from:

• Rapid innovation through collective effort
• Greater adaptability to user needs
• Increased user loyalty and engagement

By relinquishing some control, companies can tap into the creativity and passion of their user base, leading to better products and stronger customer relationships.

2. Embrace Transparency and Build Trust Through Openness

There is an inverse relationship between control and trust.

Transparency builds trust. In an age where information flows freely, attempts to hide or control information often backfire. Companies that embrace transparency:

• Build stronger relationships with customers
• Recover more quickly from mistakes
• Benefit from free word-of-mouth marketing

Be human and authentic. Corporations should strive to communicate in a genuine, personal voice. This means:

• Admitting mistakes
• Engaging in honest dialogue with customers
• Sharing behind-the-scenes information

By being open and authentic, companies can turn customers into passionate advocates and build lasting loyalty.

3. Cultivate Networks and Platforms, Not Just Products

The most successful enterprises today are networks—which extract as little value as possible so they can grow as big as possible—and the platforms on which those networks are built.

Think platform, not product. Successful companies in the digital age often create platforms that enable others to build upon them. Examples include:

• Apple's App Store
• Amazon's Marketplace
• Google's AdSense

Foster ecosystems. By creating a platform, companies can:

• Tap into the creativity of a vast network of developers and entrepreneurs
• Scale rapidly with minimal investment
• Create a self-reinforcing cycle of growth and innovation

The key is to create value for all participants in the ecosystem, rather than trying to capture all the value for yourself.

4. Organize and Leverage the Wisdom of Crowds

What Would Google Do? It would trust the people.

Harness collective intelligence. The internet allows us to tap into the wisdom of crowds on an unprecedented scale. Successful companies find ways to:

• Aggregate user-generated content and data
• Create systems for collaborative problem-solving
• Use customer feedback to drive product development

Examples of crowd wisdom:

• Wikipedia's collaborative knowledge creation
• Amazon's product reviews and recommendations
• Waze's real-time traffic data from users

By trusting in the collective intelligence of their users, companies can make better decisions and create more valuable products and services.

5. Think in Terms of Abundance, Not Scarcity

We are entering a post-scarcity economy in which Google is teaching us to manage abundance, challenging the bedrock rule of economics, first written in 1767: the law of supply and demand.

Embrace digital abundance. The internet has created an era of abundance in information and digital goods. This requires a fundamental shift in thinking:

• From controlling scarce resources to managing abundant ones
• From creating artificial scarcity to leveraging network effects
• From one-size-fits-all to mass customization

Find value in abundance. Companies that thrive in this new environment:

• Create tools to help users navigate abundance (e.g., search engines, recommendation systems)
• Use abundant resources to create scarcity in other areas (e.g., using free content to sell premium services)
• Leverage network effects to create value that increases with scale

The challenge is to find business models that work in an environment of abundance, rather than trying to artificially recreate scarcity.

6. Free is a Powerful Business Model

Free is impossible to compete against.

Rethink "free". In the digital world, giving away products or services for free can be a powerful strategy:

• It removes friction and accelerates adoption
• It can create network effects and lock-in
• It allows companies to monetize in other ways

Examples of successful "free" models:

• Google's free search, subsidized by advertising
• Freemium models (e.g., Spotify, Dropbox)
• Open-source software

The key is to find ways to monetize the attention or data generated by free offerings, or to use free as a loss leader for premium services.

7. Data is the New Oil: Harness Its Power

At Google, we are God and our data is the Bible.

Data-driven decision making. In the digital age, data is a crucial asset. Companies that excel at collecting and analyzing data can:

• Make better decisions faster
• Personalize products and services
• Predict trends and behaviors

Examples of data leverage:

• Netflix's recommendation engine
• Amazon's predictive shipping
• Google's search algorithm improvements

The challenge is not just collecting data, but deriving actionable insights from it and using those insights to create value for customers.

8. Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

Google is perhaps the most powerful single tool that can be used by anyone on earth. But it is also the simplest.

Embrace simplicity. In a world of increasing complexity, simplicity is a competitive advantage. Successful digital products:

• Have intuitive interfaces
• Focus on core functionality
• Eliminate unnecessary features

Design for simplicity:

• Prioritize the most important features
• Use clear, concise language
• Create consistent, predictable user experiences

By making products and services simpler and easier to use, companies can reduce friction, increase adoption, and create more satisfying user experiences.

9. Innovation Comes from Experimentation and Failure

Make mistakes well.

Encourage experimentation. Innovation often comes from trying new things and learning from failures. Successful companies:

• Create a culture that embraces risk-taking
• Implement systems for rapid prototyping and testing
• Learn quickly from failures and iterate

Examples of innovative practices:

• Google's "20% time" for personal projects
• Amazon's "two-pizza teams" for agile development
• Facebook's "move fast and break things" mentality

The key is to create an environment where experimentation is encouraged, failure is not punished, and learning happens quickly.

10. Rethink Education for the Digital Age

Google forces educators to teach differently. Why are we still teaching students to memorize facts when facts are available through search?

Shift focus in education. The internet has made information ubiquitous, requiring a fundamental change in how we approach education:

• From memorization to critical thinking and problem-solving
• From standardized testing to personalized learning
• From rigid curricula to flexible, interdisciplinary approaches

New models for learning:

• Online courses and MOOCs
• Peer-to-peer learning platforms
• Project-based and experiential learning

The goal should be to prepare students for a world of constant change, where the ability to learn and adapt is more important than specific knowledge.

11. Transform Government Through Openness and Collaboration

Now that we have the technological means to open up government and make every action transparent, we must insist on a new ethic of openness.

Open government initiatives. Technology can make government more transparent, efficient, and responsive:

• Open data initiatives to make government information accessible
• Crowdsourcing platforms for citizen input and problem-solving
• Digital services to streamline government interactions

Examples of government innovation:

• Estonia's digital citizenship and e-voting systems
• UK's Gov.uk platform for unified government services
• US Digital Service for modernizing federal technology

By embracing openness and collaboration, governments can rebuild trust, improve services, and tap into the collective intelligence of citizens to solve complex problems.

Last updated: January 23, 2025