The Google Boys: Sergey Brin and Larry Page in Their Own Words

by George Beahm

Google is arguably the most influential company in the world today. Just fifteen years old, it touches the lives of millions globally through the 13 billion searches on its site every month. With its finger on the pulse of the Internet, it understands its consumers more intimately than any company could hope for. The brainchild of Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Google is now engaged in frontline research to push the limits of how we live -- whether it is the Google Glass, driverless cars or extending human life. There could be no greater lesson in building up from scratch a model company that people aspire to work for, a giant with the third-highest market $382 billion as of May 2014. How does a company get to be the world's go-to people? Who better to speak of it than Brin and Page? Businesspeople at all levels will find their visionary thoughts on work principles, company culture, leadership and life lessons useful. Their ideas will open up unexplored avenues for further innovation. And as the introduction says, if you want more information, you can always Google it!

Genres: Biography

126 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 12, 2014

About the author

George Beahm writes books about censorship, sports figures, and numerous literary figures, including Patricia Cornwell, J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, Philip Pullman, and others.

Reviews

[Ginan Aulia Rahman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saya gak nyangka bisa menikmati buku ini, wkwk. Seru, singkat, dan langsung ke inti pelajaran dari Sergey Brin dan Larry Page

Buku The Google Boy berisi kutipan-kutipan perkataan Brin dan Page di berbagai media. Ada beberapa kutipan yang saya suka, salah satunya;

"Dalam memutuskan produk yang akan Google garap, kami bertanya "Apakah produk yang akan kita buat lebih sering kita gunakan daripada sikat gigi?"

Wkwkwk. Kegagalan pertama bagi produsen adalah memproduksi barang yang tidak pasar butuhkan. Pertanyaan tim Google di atas memang tepat banget untuk ditanyakan sebelum serius membuat produk.

Google sekarang besar banget dan terus berkembang. Rumus biar bisa kayak gitu adalah porsi 70/20/10. Maksudnya;

70% Google berfokus mengurusi area bisnis inti mereka, yakni search engine.
20% Google melakukan bisnis lain yang masih terkait bisnis inti.
10% sisanya adalah proyek spekulatif dan inovasi yang baru dan tidak terkait bisnis inti. Mereka menamakan proyek ini sebagai moon shooting. Misalnya mereka mengembangkan mobil yang bisa nyetir sendiri, energi terbarukan, dan lainnya.

Itulah cara Google terus berinovasi dan sukses.

Dan, sekali lagi saya dapat pelajaran tentang "duit itu ga penting2 banget" dari Brin dan Page. Kata mereka berdua; produk hebat tidak lahir dari ambisi nyari duit. Tapi dari keinginan untuk menyelesaikan masalah dan membantu orang banyak untuk lebih mudah hidupnya.

Google hadir untuk membantu kita mencari dan menghimpun informasi, di saat kita kebingungan dengan banyaknya informasi yang tersedia di internet. Kita sangat membutuhkan Google setiap waktu. itulah kenapa Kita lebih sering ngegoogling daripada nyikat gigi, kan?

[Rushi Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

motivating story and learning tips for startups guys

[Hidayatullah Ibrahim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice ambitions of Google company, but the book is small definition

[Suvrat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Google Boys is a collection of quotes, anecdotes, stories, and reflections from the Google founders themselves, as told to various interviewers throughout the years. It's a short read, with most quotes only taking a single page or less, making it an easy read for anyone who wants to get an inside look at the minds behind one of the most powerful companies in Silicon Valley.

[Richard Trus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A company that is part of your daily life - a great story of how Google came about.

[Shubham Srivastava · Rating 4 out of 5]

a wonderful way to look at google's journey so far...

[Mandar Kulkarni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short read. Quotes by Google founders. One time read.