The Google Way

What About the Rest of Us?

People often wonder whether the Google experiment can be replicated elsewhere. That is, can it really be used as a model, or did Page and Brin just come along at the right time and understand how to take advantage of the entrepreneurial climate in Silicon Valley?

As I explore that question throughout this book, remember that Google was created largely by bucking that system. In fact, Page and Brin developed an organization with management methods that contradict most of what they were told to do by venture capitalists and other Silicon Valley professionals.

Entrepreneurs are often depicted as heroes or adventurers, more willing to take risks than the average executive. That sounds romantic, but the image is pretty far ...