GOOGL - Final Project for Print

Return Driven Strategy
Case Study
Google
SEV 611 – Return Driven Strategy
Spring 2015
The Center for Strategy, Execution and Valuation
Kellstadt Graduate School of Business
DePaul University
Dr. Mark L. Frigo
Team Members:
Michael Allen michaelvallen@gmail.com
Savannah Boren slboren@yahoo.com
Steven Corush stevencorush@gmail.com
Dana Gupta danacgupta@gmail.com
Allison Havens havens.allison@gmail.com
Timothy Liace timothy.liace@gmail.com
Andrew Mederich mederich@gmail.com
Sean Moran smoran6200@gmail.com
Thomas O’Connor oconntp3@gmail.com
Kareem Shabib shabib.kareem@gmail.com
Sue N. Susenburger sue.america@gmail.com
1

Table of Contents
Storyboard for the Case.........................................................................................................................3
Overview of the Company.....................................................................................................................3
Performance Profile of the Company....................................................................................................5
The Strategy of the Company................................................................................................................6
Return Driven Strategy - Google............................................................................................................6
The Commitment Tenet.....................................................................................................................6
Ethically Maximize Wealth .............................................................................................................6
The Goal Tenets .................................................................................................................................7
Fulfill Otherwise Unmet Customer Needs......................................................................................7
Target Appropriate Customer Groups............................................................................................8
The Competency Tenets ....................................................................................................................8
Deliver Offerings.............................................................................................................................8
Innovate Offerings..........................................................................................................................9
Brand Offerings ............................................................................................................................10
The Supporting Tenets.....................................................................................................................10
Partner Deliberately.....................................................................................................................10
Map and Redesign Processes.......................................................................................................11
Engage Employees and Others.....................................................................................................13
Balance Focus and Options ..........................................................................................................14
Communicate Holistically.............................................................................................................15
The Foundations ..............................................................................................................................16
Genuine Assets.............................................................................................................................16
Vigilance to Forces of Change ......................................................................................................17
Disciplined Performance Measurement and Valuation...............................................................17
Strategic Risk Assessment - Google.....................................................................................................21
Innovation Risk.................................................................................................................................21
Market Risk ......................................................................................................................................22
Legal and Regulatory Risk ................................................................................................................22
Other Risks .......................................................................................................................................23
Summary and Conclusions...................................................................................................................23
Bibliography.........................................................................................................................................26
2

Storyboard for the Case
This case describes an overview of the Performance, Strategy, R&D Strategy and Lessons
Learned.
Overview of the Company
Today, Google is a worldwide multibillion-dollar company with 53,600 employees1, one of
the world’s most recognized brands, and the most popular search engine. Google’s mission
is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.
The company started as BackRub search engine in 1996, founded by Larry Page and Sergey
Brin at Stanford University. In September 1998, it was incorporated in California and
reincorporated in Delaware in August 2003. The current headquarters is located in Mountain
View, CA. Google’s innovations in search and advertising have made the website widely used:
products and services are provided in more than 100 languages and in more than 50
countries, regions, and territories.2
1
"Google: Number of Employees 2014 | Statistic." Statista. Statista, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
2
"Company – Google." Company – Google. Google, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
3

In 2014, Google generated revenues of $66 billion primarily by delivering online advertising
that consumers find relevant and that advertisers find cost-effective. This was an increase of
19% from 2013. The 2014 ad revenue amounted to almost 59.06 billion US dollars. That year
advertising accounted for 89.5% of the online company's total revenues ($66 billion). The ad
revenues have been growing steady since 2003, while it grew about 17% from 2013 to 2014.
Google generates revenues primarily by delivering both performance advertising and brand
advertising. It offers ads that answer peoples search questions, which help millions of
companies grow their businesses. AdWords is its performance advertising program which is
primarily action-based. In addition, the AdSense program delivers relevant ads to customers
that generate revenue and enhance the user experience. These programs let both small and
large businesses connect with users looking for a specific item, say a pair of shoes or a plane
ticket back home.
With its brand advertising program, Google offers an ad technology platform for brand
advertisers, agencies, and publishers to power their digital marketing businesses across
display, mobile, and video.
Google has a market capacity of 367.54 B (April 11, 2015) while their share is $542 and their
market volume is 1,405,574. In 2014, Google’s lowest share prices were in May ($515),
October ($527) and December ($510). 2015 started off with a low of $510 and the price
recovered to a high of $575 in March, while it is currently in a decline phase. The highs in
2014 were in July ($593), September ($591), and in March 2015 ($575).3
Besides the search engine service and the ad program for advertisers and marketers, Google
offers the mail service Gmail, the browser Chrome and Google play, a media center offering
movies, books, music, and apps. Google is working on providing speedy, secure access to
whatever their customer’s need is, wherever they happen to be, and on whatever device
they might be using at the time.
As they said in the 2004 Founders’ IPO Letter, we will not shy away from high-risk, high-
reward projects because we believe they are the key to our long-term success. We won’t
stop asking “What if?” and keep working hard to find the answer.
3
Google. "Form 10-K." 2014.
4

Performance Profile of the Company
As shown in the charts below, Google’s CFROI over the last decade is, on average, 15%;
which far exceeds the cost of capital of approximately 5%. The market is only giving Google
credit for 5% CFROI, while HOLT believes historical results of ~14% is attainable in the long-
term. Despite the decline in the asset growth rate, Google is maintaining outperformance
in total shareholder returns. It is important to note Google’s business model is asset-light in
nature. The main sources of revenue are web sites, network sites, licensing and other which
do not require a heavy asset base. Outperformance in total shareholder returns is largely
attributable to their track record of superior CFROI. Google’s dominance in search and
advertising as well as their widely recognized brand best positions them for the expansion
of connected devices over the long-term.
5

The Strategy of the Company
Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible
and useful. The strategies Google is using will be evaluated against the Return Driven
Strategy framework. As we will illustrate, Google meets the criteria of a high performing
company by adhering to the tenets of the Return Driven Strategy framework.
Return Driven Strategy - Google
The Commitment Tenet
Ethically Maximize Wealth
As stated in their 10-K, the goal of Google’s founders was to “develop services that
significantly improve the lives of as many people as possible.”4 They believe focusing on the
end user is paramount; and if executed correctly, all else will follow. Per the ‘what we believe’
section of Google’s website, “Since the beginning, we’ve focused on providing the best user
experience possible. Whether we’re designing a new Internet browser or a new tweak to the
look of the homepage, we take great care to ensure that they will ultimately serve you, rather
than our own internal goal or bottom line.”5 Google’s success in focusing on the end user
4
5
"Ten Things We Know to Be True – Company – Google." Ten Things We Know to Be True – Company –
Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015.
6

couldn’t have been achieved if ethics weren’t also at the forefront. Ethics are woven into the
fabric of Googles’ DNA and we see evidence of that in several places. The ‘what we believe’
section of Google’s website states, “To ensure that we’re ultimately serving all our users
(whether they are advertisers or not), we have a set of guiding principles for our advertising
programs and practices.”6 One of these guiding principles requires that advertisements be
clearly identified in an effort to maintain the integrity of search results. Additionally, Google
does not “manipulate rankings to put our partners higher in our search results and no one
can buy better PageRank.”7 The trust between Google and their users would never be
jeopardized for short term gains.
The importance and prioritization Google places on the subject of ethics is outlined in the
book “How Google Works”, written by executive chairman and ex-CEO Eric Schmidt and
former SVP of products Jonathan Rosenberg. The book highlights the slogan “Don’t Be Evil,”
and discusses how it became a core mantra of the company. The mantra “genuinely
expresses a company value and aspiration that is deeply felt by employees.”8 When making
decisions, employees often take morality into account. “Every company needs a ‘Don’t be
evil,’ a cultural loadstar that shines over all management layers, product plans, and office
politics.”9 Google sets a very high standard with regards to ethics as this message is pervasive
among the rank and file of Google. Google’s stance on ethics is consistent with tenet one of
the return driven strategy framework; ethically maximize wealth.
The Goal Tenets
Fulfill Otherwise Unmet Customer Needs
The lion’s share of Google’s attention has always been placed on the end user as they believe
their success is directly correlated with exceeding the expectations of all their customers.
While initially focused on an internet search engine, they quickly branched out to other
product offerings that complement their core business, such as Gmail, Google Drive, Google
Docs, and Google Maps all in an effort to fulfill unmet customer needs. Google constantly
strives to improve the customer experience and great examples of this include their search
engine and Gmail. It wasn’t enough that Google’s search engine provided results quickly;
they believe “even if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, finding an answer on
the web is our problem, not yours.”10 That led to the creation of a more intuitive and helpful
spellchecker that dealt with typos. Since they are always raising the bar and setting new
6
7
8
Schmidt, Eric. Google: How Google Works. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print., p.64-65
9
Schmidt, Eric. Google: How Google Works. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print., p.65
10
7

standards when Google “launched Gmail, it had more storage space than any email service
available.”11
Target Appropriate Customer Groups
Google has permeated all facets of life by always focusing on specific customer needs. More
recently, Google announced their investment in new products like Smart Contact Lenses and
Project Loon. The Smart Contact Lenses are “built to measure glucose levels in tears using a
tiny wireless chip and miniaturized glucose sensor that are embedded between two layers of
soft contact lens material.”12 These lenses will address a growing problem for the 1 in 19
individuals with diabetes and allow them to measure their sugar levels every second. Google
hopes their Smart Contact Lenses will “someday lead to a new way for people with diabetes
to manage their disease”13 since one of the biggest challenges has to do with infrequent
sugar level monitoring.
Project Loon is Google’s attempt to make the internet available to everyone, as the majority
of the world’s population lives without internet access. “Project Loon is a network of balloons
traveling on the edge of space, designed to connect people in rural and remote areas, help
fill coverage gaps, and bring people back online after disasters.”14 Project loon will make the
world a more connected place and bring the power of knowledge to all.
Although Smart Contact Lenses and Project Loon are entirely different Google innovations,
they both will ultimately drive people to their website and support their core business. Smart
Contact Lenses and Project Loon are examples of how Google’s strategy is consistent with
the RDS Framework, specifically tenet 3; Target Appropriate Customer Groups.
The Competency Tenets
Deliver Offerings
Google’s core offering to its customers, as explained in their published list of “Ten things we
know to be true”, is access to knowledge and information, and provide direct answers to
questions in the most efficient seamless way possible15. Google’s primary focus is providing
users the best search experience that is fast and secure. High-quality advertising earns equal
attention from Google’s workforce as it is the main source of revenue for the company;
11
12
Otis, Brian, and Babak Parviz. "Introducing Our Smart Contact Lens Project." Web log post. Official Google
Blog. N.p., 16 Jan. 2014. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.
13
Otis, Brian, and Babak Parviz. "Introducing Our Smart Contact Lens Project." Web log post. Official Google
Blog. N.p., 16 Jan. 2014. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.
14
"Project Loon." Loon for All. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.
15
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however, they strive to advertise in a way that appeals to its users. Ad placement,
transparency of the advertisement, and relevancy to its users are examples of how Google’s
delivery of its products and services is in a realm far above its competition.
Google leaders have a vision to connect the entire world, and they’ve been successful thus
far with offices in 60 countries, maintenance of over 180 Internet domains, and providing
search results in more than 130 languages16. Yet there are still billions of people in the world
that do not have access to the powerful information Google provides merely based on the
geography to which they were born. In an effort to deliver to the other half of the world, as
previously mentioned, Google is investing in Project Loon which places a network of balloons
at the edge of space to provide connectivity in the most rural and remote areas whereby
fulfilling an otherwise unmet need17. Project Loon is not simply a medium for billions of
people to connect to the Internet; rather it opens the door for endless opportunities to
improve lives, expand learning and knowledge, and even start new businesses in these
remote areas.
Innovate Offerings
Being great isn’t good enough for Google. In a world where customers’ unmet needs are
rapidly changing over time, Google tries to anticipate these needs far before their audience
can even express their needs. They are constantly improving on what they do well. It is
through innovation that they develop products and services that protect the markets in
which they currently operate, as well as expanding into new ones. There are several
examples of successful innovations described in their 2014 10-K filing:
● Google sought to offer smarter email service with plenty of storage and then came
Gmail;
● They sought a simpler, speedier, and safe browser and then came Chrome;
● They sought easy access to movies, books, music and apps and then came Google
Play18
.
It is evident Google has created a workplace environment that fosters innovation. This is
supported by their 70-20-10 percent rule which allows employees to spend 10% of their time
on projects not related to the core business. Google fears becoming another company
suffering from “incrementalism,” which they describe to be doing what they’ve always done
while making small changes along the way19. To maintain their dominance in the technology
industry, Google must never stop asking the “what if?” questions that revolutionize their
offerings. Constantly asking “what if?” has allowed them to bring innovative products, like
16
17
18
19
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Google Glass and their glucose-measuring contact lenses, to market.
Brand Offerings
Google’s brand is arguably one of its most valuable genuine assets. In fact, an article
published by Forbes in November 2014 named Google the third most valuable brand in the
world, estimating it to be valued at $56.6 billion20. The brand has become so widely
recognized; “Google it” has become the universal generic phrase for searching for an answer
on the internet. David Reibstein, professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania’s
Wharton School, stated “with a well-known brand, people trust it a lot more, and part of
what is happening with Google is a matter of trust21.” Google’s dominance in the technology
industry stems largely from their brand image to deliver information to its users quickly and
easily on multiple devices. Patents, licenses, registered trademarks and copyrights are a few
ways Google protects its intellectual property and proprietary technology that allows them
to provide superior service to its users.
The Supporting Tenets
Partner Deliberately
Google has done a fairly good job at partnering deliberately with other companies. Its core
strength is information and using that information to help both end-users and customers in
a symbiotic relationship; most everything else is a function to support their main ad-based
business. Most partnerships have happened through auxiliary functions that support the use
of information, like the frame design of Google Glass. Only select partnerships pertaining to
internet search have happened, while most everything else has been attained through
acquisitions. Acquisitions include names like: Doubleclick, Picasa, Android, YouTube,
Quickoffice, Waze, Nest, and Motorola Mobile.
Arguably, two of the most important early partners of Google when it was starting out was
with AOL and Ask Jeeves. In 2002, Google was in negotiations to become AOL’s search and
ads engine. The negotiations went almost fully in favor of AOL, but founders Larry Page and
Sergey Brin decided to take the risk. They knew full well, sharing in small revenues was a
growth strategy that they needed. Being extremely aggressive and generous in taking the
deal would ultimately help the company “If it doesn’t bankrupt us first,” Eric Schmidt
thought. The company’s lead attorney, David Drummond, and the board of directors agreed
that management could always borrow the cash to cover the revenue shortfalls. Bets like
these were crucial to Google’s future success. Growth was key at that particular phase in the
company’s business cycle.22
20
Badenhausen, 2014
21
Badenhausen, 2014
22
Schmidt, Eric. "Decisions-The True Meaning of Consensus." Google: How Google Works. New York: Grand
Central, 2014. 160-161. Print.
10

Despite the concerns over revenue splitting, Google still counseled their counterparts at AOL
against increasing ad volume. They had no idea how they were going to make enough money,
but knew monetizing too soon would stifle growth; and they were correct. While AOL
prioritized revenue over growth, Google.com would do the opposite. A clean and great user
experience focused on delivering unfulfilled needs based on genuine assets would allow the
company to reach critical mass before collecting the right balance of ad revenue. The
partnerships allowed Google to grow at exactly the right time, while maintaining complete
control of their proprietary search and ad algorithms, and the rest is history.23
Google also knew when not to maintain control and divest itself of non-core competencies.
Unlike Apple, who maintained complete control over the design, iOS programming, and
construction of the iPhone, Google decided to do exactly the opposite. In 2005, they
purchased a company called Android. The team initially thought keeping the code closed
would be a benefit to quality, like their search algorithm. Sergey had other plans and thought
it would help the company scale quickly. He was right, and it grew on an extraordinary scale
taking market share quickly. While the iPhone was a huge success for Apple, this new
operating system allowed Google a fast and dominating entry into the smartphone market
that provided a seamless transition to their core competency: Search.24
In one of the most recent partnerships, Google has created a powerful ally with Luxottica
Group SpA, the designers of Ray-Ban and Oakley. The deal would allow another company to
create frames for, and distribute, Google Glass: a system that displays interactive images
through Bluetooth connection for smartphone users. Luxottica’s marketing prowess will try
to convince the public to basically wear small computers on their face. Google knows it
does not have a core competency in selling glasses or designing frames, so it has smartly
decided to partner. In addition, the partnership will allow Google to gains access to
Luxottica’s powerful distribution business of LensCrafters and Sunglass Hut retail stores in
over 5,000 U.S. stores.25
Map and Redesign Processes
In order to support the higher tenets and focus on what is really important, like ethically
maximizing wealth while targeting unfulfilled needs of the appropriate customers, Google
utilizes its genuine asset of “smart creative” employees. Smart creatives possess the business
23
Schmidt, Eric. "Strategy-Your Plan Is Wrong." Google: How Google Works. New York: Grand Central, 2014.
80-81. Print.
24
88-90. Print.
25
Winkler, Rolfe. "Google Deal With Luxottica Will Bring Glass to Ray-Ban, Oakley." The Wall Street Journal 24
Mar. 2014. Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Web. 12 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303949704579459770701232200>.
11

savvy, technical knowledge, creative energy, are never satisfied, always questioning, and not
afraid to take it upon themselves to solve the problem. 26
On the opposite end of the spectrum are HiPPOs, Highest-Paid Person’s Opinion, who are
not welcomed at Google and would have difficulty managing with the culture of small teams
and a flat organizational structure. While ideas are easily squashed in other organizations by
management, a culture of YES is fostered by the rule of seven: no less than seven direct
reports to a manager and many times more than fifteen employees. Despite this flat
organizational structure, they still follow the “two-pizza team” rule that a team must be small
enough to be fed by two pizzas. Because of this culture of highly functioning yet large number
of autonomous employees, managers have very little time to micromanage.27
The result of this organizational culture is a company that bases many priorities not on what
the competition is doing, or what a HiPPO decides, but on technical insights that either drive
down cost or increases the usability and functionality of the product by a significant factor
targeted directly to the customer.28 In 2009 the company conducted a review where they
asked “What is your technical insight?” to all their major product groups. The response had
to be concise and in a few sentences. If the product group could not articulate a good answer
they were asked to rethink their product.29 By targeting unfulfilled needs toward the correct
customer groups, they avoid mediocrity and having to rely on incremental market research,
tactics in pricing, marketing, and distribution to squeeze higher profits and market share
away from the competition.30
Focus on the user experience is critical. Several times, Google made products not having the
slightest clue how their decisions would impact revenues, but they knew that focusing on the
user was the right thing to do. There were several notable times where product launches
could, and did, hurt revenues. In 2009 search engineers began to create a prototype that
would allow instant search results to happen after the user started to type. The idea was
great for the user, but weeks after the team started to create the functionality they realized
they hadn’t a clue how the results would impact advertising revenues. No ROI calculations
took place either. It was only after product launch that they realized the impact was minimal.
User trust is just as important as dollars. If you make crummy products your business will
crumble. When creating business processes, Google takes the end-user into account more
26
Schmidt, Eric. "Introduction." Google: How Google Works. New York: Grand Central, 2014. 16-20. Print.
27
Schmidt, Eric. "Culture-Believe Your Own Slogans." Google: How Google Works. New York: Grand Central,
2014. 40-46. Print.
28
90-91. Print.
29
Schmidt, Eric. "Strategy - Your Plan Is Wrong." Google: How Google Works. New York: Grand Central, 2014.
77-78. Print.
30
Schmidt, Eric. "Strategy - Your Plan Is Wrong." Google: How Google Works. New York: Grand Central, 2014.
71. Print.
12

than most companies.31
Engage Employees and Others
Many companies say their number one asset is human capital, but not many truly believe it.
Google believes it one hundred percent, and knows its people are a genuine asset. Because
of this, the company behaves much differently than all other companies in Silicon Valley and
the rest of the world. Google needs a fairly specific skill-set that is different than many other
companies. For that reason, it hires employees differently, engages employees differently,
and allows lower-level employees much more autonomy and control to the point that it is
hard for management to say no to ideas.
Not everyone is right for every company. You need to match your employees to the type and
nature of the services required to achieve the higher tenets. In hiring smart creative people,
and giving autonomy while expecting a lot in results, management is creating a unique
culture of knowledgeable workers who have the tools and information at their disposal to
think big and solve problems that customers and end-users need, without delivering much
supervision. Smart creatives don’t keep quiet when they disagree, they get bored easily, are
multidimensional, and have great business savvy. The entrepreneurial culture keeps these
unique people engaged, and the employees are able to deliver upon the higher tenets Google
needs.32 So how does Google make this possible? They change the way people are hired.
Hiring is peer-based and decisions are made by committees that rate candidates. Also, a great
workforce attracts more great people who want to work. Management ensures a “herd
effect” is in force and has momentum. While most other companies with B level managers
hire C and D people that are lower in standards and do not challenge their work environment,
at Google A’s tend to hire A’s because it is who they want to work with. Simply put, they
aren’t afraid to hire people who are smarter and more knowledgeable than themselves.33
The company also institutionalized the “LAX test” of getting stuck at LAX airport for 6 hours
and having to talk with the person all night. If the team of interviewers believed they could
have a great conversation with them for the entire time and not get bored, then they are
likely a good candidate to be on their team. In doing this test, the founders of Google
institutionalized this practice by making “Googleyness” one of the four standard sections on
which to rate candidates.34
Google is also notorious for free and subsidized amenities to give employees everything they
31
Schmidt, Eric. "Innovation - Create the Primordial Ooze." Google: How Google Works. New York: Grand
32
Schmidt, Eric. "Introduction." Google: How Google Works. New York: Grand Central, 2014. 16-20. Print.
33
Schmidt, Eric. "Talent-Hiring Is the Most Important Thing You Do." Google: How Google Works. New York:
Grand Central, 2014. 98-100. Print.
34
Schmidt, Eric. "Talent-Hiring Is the Most Important Thing You Do." Google: How Google Works. New York:
Grand Central, 2014. 106. Print.
13

want. The company purchased and subsidizes day care centers for parents. Employees have
free gourmet food and snacks, volleyball courts, bowling alleys, climbing walls, gyms,
personal trainers, pools, bikes, arcade games, and free massages. This keeps employees
engaged and at work. Also, internet speeds are insanely blazing fast so people will not want
to work on their computers from home. Even the layout is designed to be open and noisy,
opposite of the usual quiet executive corner-office, with quiet rooms when people need to
get away. Ultimately, the goal is to keep headquarters crowded and energetic with
creativity. 35
The final way Google engages employees is through unusual freedoms, flexibility, and power;
they are not limited. Google noticed mothers in particular tend to leave work early to take
care of their family, and then start again around 9pm. Parents are allowed plenty of work-
life flexibility and the company tries not to infringe on this opportunity because they know
the work will get done even if it is late at night. Google employees are overworked, but the
employees know what they signed up for and wouldn’t have it any other way.36 The company
also has a 70/20/10 policy where twenty percent of resources can be dedicated to emerging
business on whatever they choose, and 10 percent on new. This ensures the core business
would get accomplished, while the crazy ideas get a shot. As a result, employees stay
engaged and use their talents to accomplish the higher tenets. Just a few of the projects that
spawned out of the twenty percent are: Google Now, Google News, and transit information
on Google Maps37
Balance Focus and Options
While search is still expanding overseas, Google has pretty much run out of breakthroughs
on the main search engine and advertising workhorse that generates the bulk of revenue. To
combat stagnation, employees must be creative. The CEO of Google is more like a chief
innovation officer (CIO) that establishes uniformity of command over all the various
innovation programs.38 Unlike most companies, employees are encouraged to think big; the
sky's the limit. The benefit of thinking big: smart creatives are given freedom. When you
combine this with a culture of 70/20/10 that allows freedom of 20 percent of an employee’s
time on emerging, and 10 percent on new ideas, you are able to truly innovate and create
options for the company to expand CFROI levels even higher.
By fully employing genuine assets like intelligent creative employees, Google has developed
35
2014. 34-37. Print.
36
2014. 51-53. Print.
37
Schmidt, Eric. "Innovation-Create the Primordial Ooze." Google: How Google Works. New York: Grand
38
14

many platforms that both solve problems for their users, and support their main revenue
stream. These include products like, Gmail, Google Drive and Google Docs, Google Plus, the
Android operating system, and Nexus cell phone for smartphone usage. They also developed
Chromebook cloud-based computers that use software as a service (SAAS). The company is
creating high-speed fiber optic lines for cities, creating internet in remote parts of Africa
through Project Loon’s high-altitude balloons, and creating new cars that drive themselves
through the use of Google Maps and cameras and sensors mounted on cars. All these items
require one thing that Google has: Information.
One last project worth noting is a venture capital organization within Google called Google
Ventures. The division provides seed, venture, and growth stage funding to the best
companies. Google Ventures backs the organizations with support in design, recruiting, and
marketing. While the division says the companies are not a strategic investment for Google,
in many ways it does create organizations that need information from Google, can possibly
partner with Google for ad revenue on their own sites, and creates an opportunity to invest
and possibly acquire the best companies if they succeed. Some notable companies are: Nest,
Uber, HomeAway, DocuSign, and DNAnexus.39
Communicate Holistically
Google communicates holistically internally and externally to clients and the public.
However, it truly shines at all levels of internal communications. Management is a true
believer of transparency within the company across all levels of management. While the
typical company hoards information at various levels of management to retain power,
communications in Google are much like a router with the default mode set open to share
everything.
When Eric Schmidt was CEO, he started a process that is still in effect today. Every quarter a
comprehensive in-depth report, crammed full of information, is created and presented to
the board. The status of many product areas and in-depth insights are presented with slides,
data, and charts. While it is not surprising that this presentation is full of confidential non-
public information, it is surprising that once the meeting is over they present all this
information internally again with all of Google’s employees and with the exact same slides.
Very few parts are watered down so everything is transparent to the lowest levels of the
company. The only parts left out are for legal reasons, or slight changes that ensure if the
highly coveted document were to get leaked, it would not detrimentally harm the company
or hurt anyone’s feelings.40
Information is also shared openly through the company’s intranet on new upcoming
39
"Google Ventures." Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://www.gv.com/about/>.
40
Schmidt, Eric. "Communications-Be a Damn Good Router." Google: How Google Works. New York: Grand
15

products, as well as weekly meetings. One highly visible communication and measurement
tool is that every employee posts their individual objectives and key results (OKR) online for
all employees to see. This is a first-person account of what they are working on and believe
is important so that everyone can immediately see what that person can and will accomplish.
It is done from the CEO down and nobody is exempt. This process helps with communication
and maintains alignment across the teams.41 Additionally, a weekly company-wide TGIF
meeting takes place with an extensive and completely open Q&A session. As the company
grew, they had to create an electronic question queue system called Dory (as in the name of
the memory-deficient fish in the movie Finding Nemo) to submit questions. The employees
would then vote on the best questions to talk about so that the most pertinent topics are
discussed.42 All these examples are ways to cut through the hierarchy and create holistic
communication and a clear message at all levels. Also, when all employees know what is
going on, the company has a uniform message and clear goals they can explain to clients,
users, investors, and the public.
The Foundations
Genuine Assets
Everything at Google starts with its people. Google states in their Annual Report, “Our
employees are among our best assets and are critical for our continued success.” 43 Lazlo
Bock, Senior Vice President, People Operations at Google was interviewed on CNBC and
presented some amazing statistics. Google receives over 2 million applications every year
and only hires about 5,000 from those applicants. That is a 0.2% chance of getting a job at
Google. With the endless flow of applicants, Google can pick and choose the best and
brightest for their employees.
Google started with a proprietary search algorithm, which remains at the forefront of their
business. Their search algorithm is what drives traffic to their site and in turn drives the
advertising revenue they deeply depend on. The search algorithm is probably Google’s most
genuine asset, without it they would not have a value proposition to consumers and would
not generate revenue which allows them to pursue so many other things outside of search.
Historically Google looked down on patents. According to Google, patents particularly
software patents, are mostly bogus, large, low-quality, and used in court by companies that
can’t innovate to hurt consumers and stifle true innovators.44 To put it into perspective, in
41
42
43
44
Regalado, Antonio. "Google’s Growing Patent Stockpile." MIT Technology Review. MIT, 29 Nov. 2013. Web.
21 Apr. 2015.
16

2003 Google was awarded four patents for the year. Google recognized that they need to
protect their Intellectual Property and play the patent game. In 2013, they were winning
upwards of 10 per day. They also acquired Motorola Mobility which had a massive patent
portfolio of 17,000 patents.45 Google’s Patent portfolio protects the genuine assets that their
people create through innovation
Vigilance to Forces of Change
Google knows if they become content with where they are, there are a whole host of
companies like Microsoft, Facebook and Twitter who take over their dominance in the
marketplace. To hold off this competition Google starts with what it does best - their search
algorithm. Many people are not aware that Google’s search algorithm is a work in progress,
they are constantly updating it. In 2010 alone they introduced over 500 improvements to
their algorithm. 46 According to the company, “the ability to add signals, tweak the
underlying code, and instantly test the results is why we can withstand any competition from
Bing or Twitter of Facebook”47
Disciplined Performance Measurement and Valuation
Google’s 70-20-10 rule, which allows employees to spend 10% of their time on projects not
core to the business results in time and money going into new projects that do not always
work out. Google must stay disciplined in knowing when to pull the plug on projects that do
not make sense anymore. Most projects that Google pulls fail several of Google’s key tests
for further development: they were not popular with customers; they had difficulty
attracting Google employees to develop them; they didn’t solve a big enough problem; or
they failed to achieve internal performance targets known as objectives and key results. 48
Google has plenty of money to keep these projects going but they have a system in place to
stay disciplined. The biggest loss on a project that fails is the time and effort their valuable
employees spent that could have been devoted to other projects.
45
Regalado, Antonio. "Google’s Growing Patent Stockpile." MIT Technology Review. MIT, 29 Nov. 2013. Web.
21 Apr. 2015.
46
"Exclusive: How Google's Algorithm Rules the Web | WIRED." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, n.d. Web. 14
Apr. 2015.
47
"Exclusive: How Google's Algorithm Rules the Web | WIRED." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, n.d. Web. 14
Apr. 2015.
48
Goel, Vindu. "How Google Decides to Pull the Plug." The New York Times. The New York Times, 14 Feb.
2009. Web. 14 Apr. 2015.
17

Strategic Risk Assessment - Google
While there are numerous ongoing risks that Google must deal with on a regular basis, we
will focus on the primary ones. The firm recognizes as its top risk factor the threat of
competition.49 In an industry that evolves faster than any other, Google must be at the
forefront of any and all technological breakthroughs. In order to remain number one in the
categories of search engine, web browser, and mapping service, they must continuously
strive to ensure users are delivered with the best content in the timeliest manner. Heavy
investment in Research and Development must be undertaken to stay up to date on
current advancements, as well as bring to life the company’s new and imaginative ideas for
meeting their users’ needs.50
Innovation Risk
Google faces innovation competition in two main areas; its existing core business and its
next-generation technologies.51 At the present time, it contends with major companies like
Bing and Yahoo for advertising revenues. To remain the best search engine, it must
continually perfect its algorithm to provide its users with the most relevant content, and do
so faster than anyone else. The company must also be able to adapt to the changes in the
needs and preferences of its users to remain viewed as the best place for outside
companies to spend on their advertising. 89% of the firm’s earnings is from advertising
dollars, therefore this technology is by far the most important asset Google possesses.52
Outside of their search function, they face competition from alternative web browsers such
as Internet Explorer, Safari, and Firefox. Google Chrome has recently been declared the
most widely used browser on the internet by providing users with the best quality
service.53 The simplicity and superior speed of Chrome is immediately apparent to anyone
who uses it. However, these characteristics can be potentially replicated by a competitor,
therefore it is imperative that Google both recognizes this as well as stays abreast of the
public’s needs and preferences.
Google has numerous projects in the works for new cutting-edge products and services
such as their self-driving car and Project Loon.54 Before these can be universally present in
our culture, the firm must gauge the current marketplace to understand the competitive
forces and the unmet needs that exist. It must also ensure that their next-gen products or
services are not able to be easily imitated by others. With its two-year time limit policy
49
50
51
52
53
"Chrome 15 Becomes World's Most Popular Browser." StatCounter Global Stats. StatCounter, n.d. Web. 11
Apr. 2015. <http://gs.statcounter.com/press/chrome-15-becomes-worlds-most-popular-browser>.
54
21

placed on most new projects, the company displays its understanding of the related risk of
improper time and resource allocation due to trying to remain competitive with its rivals.55
Market Risk
Google’s business will always face an unpredictable economic climate. The company
acknowledges that a major downturn in the economy can result in a massive loss in
revenue.56 With such an overwhelming percentage of their revenues coming from
advertising, should these firms be unable to pay Google for their ad services, the impact
could be catastrophic. One major reason that the company invests in so many projects is to
try and generate alternative sources of revenue so they aren’t as dependent on advertising
dollars.57 The problem with this risk is that it is out of Google’s control for the most part. If
outside firms simply don’t have the money for online advertising, then Google suffers
immensely. The indirect consequence of the drop in market value of the securities that
Google has in its investment portfolio would further add to the firm’s woes should a
negative shift in the economy occur.58
Legal and Regulatory Risk
Google faces risk in the legal and regulatory realm.59 This includes ongoing litigation related
to Google’s intangible assets (copyrights, patents, trademarks, etc.) as well as the
legislation of new laws & alteration of existing laws.60 For example, if a patent law related
to the firm’s algorithm allowed for competitors to gain better insight on Google’s most
important asset, the company would most certainly be adversely affected. Similar to
Market Risk, this factor is something that the company has no real control over. Costs
related to any and all legal expenses has a negative impact on the firm’s profitability.61
The unpredictability of laws in foreign nations also poses a tremendous risk, as major
cultural differences make it quite difficult to identify or understand the reasoning behind
certain legislation.62 Furthermore, the uncertainty that exists due to the subjectivity of all
courts in general can create potentially devastating issues for the firm. Lawsuits can further
exacerbate Google’s troubles should a ruling decide that they are infringing upon another
company or user’s rights, privacy, or intellectual property. 63
55
Barr, Alistair. "Google Lab Puts Time Limit on Innovations.." The Wall Street Journal. The Wall Street
Journal, 31 March. 2015.
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
22

Other Risks
Other risks inherent to Google would include typical examples that most companies have,
such as security breaches (Operations Risk), improper or irrelevant business acquisitions
(Partnering Risk), bureaucracy that comes with being a large corporate organization
(Communication Risk), and employee turnover (Employee Engagement Risk).64 Finally,
should new technology ever emerge that is able to block all internet advertising to users, it
could prove to be disastrous, if not life-threatening, to the organization (Planning Risk).65
Summary and Conclusions
Google has evolved from a simple search engine to a multibillion dollar company. Their
mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful
and they have done that and more.
Google has successfully adhered to the tenets of Return Driven Strategy. They have shown
64
65
23

that ethically maximizing wealth is a core competency by not manipulating page rankings to
make their partners appear higher in the results. This illustrates how they serve the user
and not themselves.
Fulfilling otherwise unmet needs and delivering offerings has been a major focus for
Google. They have improved and developed countless technologies and when they realized
that much of the world’s population would not be able to access such technologies, they
developed a new way to deliver them. By developing Project Loon, they will be able to
grant internet access to those who are not currently able to capitalize on Google’s
technologies.
Due to the nature of their business, Google’s biggest risk is innovation risk. They must
ensure that they remain the best search engine to keep their biggest revenue generator,
advertising dollars, away from their competitors. They must also remain vigilant to asking
“what if?” so their innovations continue to be cutting edge and far ahead of those of their
competition.
Ultimately, Google has successfully executed the tenets of Return Driven Strategy and with
continued vigilance around this framework they should remain the world’s definitive
resource for information and technology.
24

Bibliography
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development/>.
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r-d/>.
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Company – Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015.
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"Work at Google." Work at Google. Google, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.
27

© Copyright Dr. Mark L. Frigo 2013 - Do not copy or redistribute without express written consent of Dr. Mark L. Frigo
Analysis of the Strategy and Strategic Risk
of Google
Student Names Email:
Michael Allen michaelvallen@gmail.com
Savannah Boren slboren@yahoo.com
Steven Corush stevencorush@gmail.com
Dana Gupta danacgupta@gmail.com
Allison Havens havens.allison@gmail.com
Timothy Liace timothy.liace@gmail.com
Andrew Mederich mederich@gmail.com
Sean Moran smoran6200@gmail.com
Thomas O’Connor oconntp3@gmail.com
Kareem Shabib shabib.kareem@gmail.com
Nicole Susanburger sue.america@gmail.com
SEV 611
Return Driven Strategy
Spring 2015
Dr. Mark L. Frigo
The Center for Strategy, Execution, and
Valuation
Kellstadt Graduate School of Business
DePaul University

Imagine a world where you can instantly
answer any question you may have
Opening a world of answers….. ethically

Strategy
Storyboard for the Presentation
Performance R&D Strategy Summary

SEV Team Picture
L-R: Andrew Mederich, Sean Moran, Thomas O’Connor, Steven Corush, Dana Gupta, Kareem Shabib,
Timothy Liace, Allison Havens, Savannah Boren, Daniel Michalak, Michael Allen, Nicole Susenburger

Company Snapshot

Company Performance Profile
Google Inc. (GOOGL)

Strategy - Commitment Tenet
• Ethically Maximize Wealth
Schmidt, Eric. Google: How Google Works. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
“We have tried to define
precisely what it means
to be a force for good -
always do the right,
ethical thing. Ultimately,
‘Don’t be evil’ seems to
be the easiest way to
summarize it.”- Sergey Brin,
Google founder

Strategy - Competency Tenets
● Deliver Offerings
○ Project Loon
○ Google Fiber
○ Chrome, Gmail, Google Play,
Google Glass, etc.
● Innovate Offerings
○ Won’t stop asking “What if?”
○ Glucose-measuring contact lenses

Strategy - Supporting Tenets
● Partner Deliberately
○ Luxottica group - Google Glass
○ Android - Open Source
● Engage Employees and Others
○ Unusual Autonomy
○ 70/20/10
● Communicate Holistically
○ Quarterly board presentations
■ Same exact slides to entire
company at all levels of
management
Schmidt, Eric. Google: How Google Works. New York: Grand Central, 2014. Print.

Strategy - Foundations
● Genuine Assets
○ People
○ Culture of innovation
○ Proprietary search algorithm
● Vigilance to Forces of Change
○ Perpetual updates to search
algorithm holds off competition
○ New ways to delivery their offerings
● Disciplined Performance
Measurement and Valuation
○ Knowing when to pull the plug
Badenhausen, Kurt. "Apple, Microsoft And Google Are World's Most Valuable Brands." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 05 Nov. 2014.
Web. 11 Apr. 2015.

Return Driven Strategy: Pro/Con Analysis
● Pro:
○ Fulfill Otherwise Unmet
Customer Needs
● Con:
○ Ethically Maximize Wealth
○ Balance Focus and Options

R&D Efficiency of Google
● Fulfill Unmet Customer Needs
○ Supports customers’ desire to
more easily access online
content.
● Partner Deliberately
○ Acquisitions and collaborations to
strengthen their product pipeline.
● Communicate Holistically
○ Publicly distribute employee
research.
2012 2013 2014
R&D Expenses
(billions)
$6.1 $7.1 $9.8
As a % of
Revenue
13.2% 12.9% 14.9%

R&D Efficiency of Google (cont’d)
● Engage Employees and Others
○ Holistic contribution to R&D.
● Genuine Assets
○ Google’s core business was built
around their unique algorithm.
● Vigilance to Forces of Change
○ Google continually invests in
projects to diversify its offerings
from online advertising.

Strategic Risks
3 Major Risk Factors
● Innovation Risk
○ Strong competition on core
business (search & ads) and
future ventures (self-driving
cars & Project Loons).
● Legal & Regulatory Risk
○ Protection of proprietary
search algorithm & overseas
regulations.
● Market Risk
○ Heavy dependence on ad
revenue and reliance on a
strong economy.

Lessons Learned and Future Outlook
● What if Google wanted to be known for more than just a simple search
engine?
● What if Google wanted to offer smarter email service with unprecedented
storage?
● What if Google wanted to be the first provider of internet to more than two
thirds of the world's population and play a role in consumer health?

Never stop asking “what if?”

Return Driven Strategy Research Questions – APPENDIX
To use in R&D Efficiency Study Analysis Reports by companies
Dr. Mark L. Frigo



Tenet 1:  Ethically Maximize Wealth
● Executive compensation, DEF 14A
○ Google uses equity awards to align employee and stockholder interests. At
senior levels in the organization, Google also requires employees to maintain
holdings of Google stock to ensure alignment with stockholder interests. In
addition, equity awards typically vest over a four‐year vesting period (for awards
granted prior to 2012, 1/48th
each month over four years after an initial cliff and

for awards granted in 2012 and later, cliff vesting in full after four years) to
ensure executive officers have significant value tied to long‐term stock price
performance.
○ A portion of compensation at all levels of the organization is tied to
performance. The proportion of overall pay tied to performance increases at
higher levels in the organization, reflecting an increasing impact on company
performance.

○ Google designed their compensation programs for all ‘Googler’s’, including
executive officers, to support three main goals: Attract and retain the world’s
best talent, Support Google’s culture of innovation and performance, and align
employee and stockholder interests
○ As outlined by Google’s Leadership Development and Compensation Committee,
the board’s role in risk oversight should be to review and mitigate the following:
risks and exposures associated with leadership assessment, management
succession planning, and executive compensation/incentive programs and
arrangements.
○ In regards to gender equality in pay, Laszlo Bock, Google's "people operations"
chief, recently said large companies are the wage setters in this country, so they
have the power to fix the issue by paying on the basis of a job's market value. If
you do that instead of starting from where somebody is today, the problem goes
away. 1

Look at how R&D impacts compensation – Google
● R&D expenses (as a percentage of company revenue) continue to grow, reaching $9.832
billion in 2014 (13.2% in 2012, 12.9% in 2013, and 14.9% in 2014). As it relates to
compensation, the majority of that increase is attributed to labor and facilities‐related
costs for employees responsible for R&D in existing businesses as well as new products
and services, as well as the compensation attributed to those employees.
● Due to the nature of Google’s business, expenses related to R&D will continue to grow.
Google expects that R&D expenses will increase in dollar amount and may increase as a
percentage of revenues in 2015 and future periods.   2

Tenets 2 & 3: Goal Tenets ‐ Fulfill Unmet Customer Needs & Target Appropriate Customer
Groups.
● Describe what customer needs are met by R&D
○ Due to its extensive market capitalization, and unique ambitions, Google’s R&D
budget covers a much broader range of activities than most companies would
undertake. With projects like $250+ million invested in Calico (A partnership with
Illinois‐based pharmaceutical researcher AbbVie), Google Loon (which promises
to provide the availability of a cost effective internet connection to the 2 out of
every 3 people around the world in which internet is out of reach), and
1
McGregor, Jena. "Companies Can 'totally Fix' Gender Pay Gap ‐ Google Exec." The New Zealand Herald. N.p., 18 Apr.
2015. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11433668>.
2
Google. "Form 10‐K." 2014.

self‐driving cars, the range of activities may be puzzling to some that don’t see a
clear thread linking a cohesive company strategy.
○ At the base of all R&D projects is the notion that Google is first and foremost a
technology company that derives the vast majority of its revenue from online
advertising. Although not always evident on the surface, investments made are
often aimed at driving additional users, whether that be completely new users of
the internet or extending outlets for existing users. From a customer needs
perspective, Google is making it easier for online accessibility, and fluency,
across its network. While this helps the company’s bottom line, it also supports
customers desire to more easily access online content.
○ “Marketers [strongly correlated with Google’s business] now have immediate
access to consumer behaviors and reactions across multiple channels and media.
This empowers them to take a leadership role in determining consumer
preferences, meeting customer needs, and helping match supply with demand.”
These ideas are strongly supported by Hal Varian, Google’s Chief Economist,
saying, ‘marketing is the new finance’. 3

● How are the customer needs changing?
○ Google approaches its R&D through the focus of retaining customers who
appreciate technology and its ability to unlock new opportunities and
applications – an ever changing group of consumers that require a consistent
effort to internally address these needs. To support this, Google allocates the
majority of its resources to technology and engineering. The results of this effort
can be seen in advances the company has made around maps and location based
platforms, Android and mobile technology, and search and its algorithmic
approach. 4
○ Understanding the enabling power of technology, Google is working to provide
the over 5 billion people on earth that currently do not have access to a cell
phone , mostly in developing countries, with an inexpensive option. Done 5
through Project Ara, among others, this addresses the understanding that access
to information is critical to changing the lives of those in developing nations.
○ Understanding, and often times driving, the needs of marketers in a digital
world, products like AdStage allow companies to cost effectively reach their
3
Ginches, Julie. "Marketing Is Becoming the New R&D." Econsultancy. N.p., 21 May 2012. Web. 22 Apr.
2015. <https://econsultancy.com/blog/9919marketingisbecomingthenewrd/>.
4
Simons, Robert. "Choosing the Right Customer." Harvard Business Review, Mar. 2014. Web. 22 Apr.
2015. <https://hbr.org/2014/03/choosingtherightcustomer/ar/1>.
5
Project Ara. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2015. <http://www.projectara.com/>.

audience digitally, while also providing analytics tools to measure the marketing
impact.

● To what extent is R&D customer driven?
○ The transparency of Google’s research is similar to its open source approach to
app and program development. Google provides extensive detail of much of its
technical and engineering research through its ‘Research at Google’ website. This
sharing of R&D efforts ‘approach allows our discoveries to affect the world, both
through improving Google products and services, and through the broader
advancement of scientific knowledge.’ 6

● What market segments is R&D targeting?
○ Google’s customer based is extremely varied. Many of the tools cross the
business/consumer line, but here are several of their offerings:
● Business partners: Google touts “over 5 million businesses have gone
Google” and supports its customers with offerings that include Google 7
Apps for Work, Google App Engine, and Google Cloud Platform.
● Consumers: Google’s Chrome browser platform currently has about 50%
of the browser market (ranges from 45‐65%, depending on source). 8
Google Maps supports consumer activities through its application on
approximately 2.3 million websites , and is a basic tool on Android 9
smartphones.
○ As far as age or geography, there are very few restrictions on Google’s reach.
When talking about business segments, again, there is little reach, but the main
focus is on Technology and Engineering. Google ranks 8th in overall 2013 R&D
spend across global companies , most of those companies also focusing on the 10
technology sector.

6
7
"Google for Work ‐ Tools to Success For Every Customer." Google for Work. Google, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.
<https://www.google.com/work/customers.html>.
8
"Chrome 15 Becomes World's Most Popular Browser." StatCounter Global Stats. StatCounter, n.d. Web. 11 Apr.
2015. <http://gs.statcounter.com/press/chrome‐15‐becomes‐worlds‐most‐popular‐browser>.
9
"Google Maps Usage Statistics." Google Maps Usage Statistics. Built with, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.
<http://trends.builtwith.com/mapping/Google‐Maps>.
10
Casey, Michael, and Robert Hackett. "The 10 Biggest R&D Spenders worldwide." Fortune, 17 Nov. 2014. Web. 22
Apr. 2015. <http://fortune.com/2014/11/17/top‐10‐research‐development/>.

● Are those market segments increasing, decreasing or stagnant?
○ Although its consumers vary greatly, Google is well aware that technology is
consistently driven by younger generations. To that point, Google is working
hard to target kids, creating consumers for life. An inherent risk is the many
online child privacy protection acts that protect this age group.   11
○ The global age distribution, related to percentage of population in the 0‐20 age
range, remains relatively stable over the last 20 years. Although this percentage
may decrease slightly in the next 20+ years, the net growth will continue with
overall population growth.   12

Tenets 4, 5 & 6: Competency Tenets
● How is R&D driving innovation?
○ Google’s R&D is part of their core business. In many companies Research and
Development is separated, while at Google both go hand in hand. Their hybrid
approach makes them to be first movers, while they try things nobody else has
tried before.
○ Google publishes hundreds of research papers every year to share ideas and
collaborate with a broader scientific community. “We believe the formal
structures of publishing today are changing ‐ in computer science especially,
there are multiple ways of disseminating information. We encourage publication
both in conventional scientific venues, and through other venues such as
industry forums, standards bodies, and open software product feature releases.”
13
○ Google drives innovation through a team effort and a strong sense of a shared
mission.

● How is R&D driving operational efficiency?
○ “This hybrid approach [of blurred lines between R&D] allows our discoveries to
affect the world, both through improving Google products and services, and
through the broader advancement of scientific knowledge.” 14
○ At Google, employees work on their own as well as in teams, and the company
expects their people to keep up with state of the art technology in the field. In
addition, the R&D employees expose ideas to others outside of Google to discuss
them with the outside world.
11
Winkler, Rolfe. "Google’s New Target Audience: Kids." Wall Street Journal, 3 Dec. 2014. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.
<http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/12/03/googles‐new‐target‐audience‐kids/>.
12
"Population by Age." Gapminder, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2015. <http://www.gapminder.org/population/tool/>.
13
14

○ For Google, resources means tangible assets as well as intellectual. A great team
and incredible data sets foster a rich and collaborative research environment.
○ Google understands the value of a collaborative ecosystem and embraces
open‐source software to share knowledge with others.
○ Google works together with students on projects and keeps close university
relations with research programs and awards.

● How is R&D impacting a brand?
○ Google does often not just come up with a new idea, but they even define
industry standards and the products for tomorrow. In the past, open source
projects had a huge impact for Google. For example for the development of
Android has grown immensely and has become a brand in its own right, but still
impacts Google’s reputation.
○ Google is known for going after really large problems, which their brand stands
for. It’s known for having incredible smart R&D people as well as some of the
best engineers.
○ Google redefined how people access information online and the term ‘google’
has now become a fixed term used for searching something online.

Tenets 7, 9, & 11: Supporting Tenets
● How does partnerships play a part in R&D?
○ Google acknowledges that competitors, specifically emerging start‐ups, may be
able to identify, develop, and deliver products quicker than them or at least
identify an unmet need before Google does. Google plans to continue to invest
in R&D internally to quickly develop their products, but part of that strategy
includes acquisitions of other companies. These acquisitions will both support
products already in development or take advantage of a firm identifying an
unmet need before Google has. 15
○ Google acquired Nest Labs, Inc. in February 2014, increasing their position from
a previous 12% ownership interest. Nest Labs, Inc. develops products for the
home, allowing for more automation and connectivity between the user and
various components in the home. 16
○ Google, through Nest Labs, acquired Dropcam, Inc. in July 2014. Dropcam
develops products that lets users monitor their homes or offices remotely by
seeing a video image on their computers or smartphones. Google expects this
technology to support the efforts of Nest Labs. 17
15
16
17

○ Google acquired Skybox Imaging, Inc. in August 2014. Skybox Imaging, Inc., a
satellite imaging company, will be be used to improve its Google Maps offering.
○ Google acquired Waze Limited in June 2013. Waze Limited provides traffic
navigation and real‐time traffic information for a user’s planned route. Google
plans to use this technology to enhance the user experience when planning
navigation. 18
○ Google also enters into collaborations with other companies. In September 2013
Google formed Calico, a company with a mission to understand what controls
aging inside peoples bodies. In September 2014, Calico established an R&D
collaboration with AbbVie, a pharmaceutical R&D firm. The arrangement
consisted of Calico providing world‐class R&D facilities and AbbVie providing the
development and commercialization of products. 19

● How does Google engage their employees in R&D?
○ While Google has a dedicated R&D department, the roles of R&D are not
completely restricted to those employees. Google purposefully blurs the line
among employee roles and responsibility so their best and brightest are
contributing to R&D. 20
○ R&D projects typically have a timeline of six to twelve months so employees are
able to work on many different types of projects that interest them. There is not
a heavy management structure in R&D so employees have a sense of freedom to
solve problems on their own using the full resources available to them. 21
○ Of Google’s 53,600 employees in 2014, 20,832 were in R&D. 22
○ Google’s R&D employee compensation was $1.3 billion, $1.6 billion, and $2.2
billion in 2012, 2013, and 2014 respectively. 23
○ As will be mentioned below in the communication portion, Google employees
play a key part in publishing their R&D findings. Google maintains a list of over
700 R&D employees, a brief biography, and a list of what publications they have
contributed to. 24

18
19
20
21
22
23
24
"People ‐ Research at Google." People ‐ Research at Google. Google, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.

● How does Google communicate their R&D developments?
○ Google strongly believes in sharing information and establishing industry
standards for current and future industries. Google has a dedicated area on
their website for publicly distributing findings resulting from their R&D efforts.
Publishing hundreds of research papers yearly, some of the more popular areas
they publish papers include Artificial Intelligence, Algorithms, Human‐Computer
Interaction, and Security & Privacy. 25
○ Google maintains a research blog as an additional forum to share developments
that occur from their R&D teams. Similar to the more formal publishing of
scientific research papers, the goal of this is to communicate their findings with
the public and allow for collaboration. 26

Google Foundations
Genuine Assets: Algorithm, Intellectual Property, Brand/Name Recognition, etc.,
Google is the number one online search engine with a market capitalization ranking in the top
five companies in the world with a myriad of genuine assets. We will focus on their largest:
● The ‘PageRank’ Algorithm designed by Google Co ‐ Founder Larry Page
○ With hundreds of millions of websites on the internet, this groundbreaking
algorithm is able to provide users with the most relevant and legitimate websites
that pertain to the search that the users type in. 27
○ As competition has increased, more money has been invested into Research &
Development year after year in order to continually evolve with changing
technologies & user preferences to ensure it keeps this Genuine Asset as the
company’s primary driver. 28
○ Almost 40% of the company’s employees are in the Research & Development
department, while 89% of their revenue comes from advertising that is both
directly and indirectly related to this algorithm. 29

● The intellectual property that Google houses
○ Due to the immense value that Google possesses, they need to have a vast
portfolio of confidentiality agreements, patents, trademarks, and copyrights to
25
26
"Research Blog." Research Blog. Google, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.
27
Brin, Sergey, and Lawrence Page. "The Anatomy of a Large‐Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine." The Anatomy of
a Search Engine. Computer Science Department, Stanford University, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.
<http://infolab.stanford.edu/~backrub/google.html>.
28
29

protect it. As of December 31, 2014, these gross purchased intangible assets
were valued at over $8.5 billion. 30
○ Google hires the best and brightest to achieve, develop, and perfect this
intellectual property. According to a Linkedin Unversity Finder search, a strong
percentage of their employees come from six of the eight Ivy League schools,
while the majority come from elite technology and engineering schools such as
Stanford, MIT, UC Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon. 31
○ Google continues to invest in their employees ‐ R&D employees are provided
with additional stock‐based compensation to ensure they can retain their
workers. 32

● The culture that Google promotes within the organization
○ The benefits that Google provides for its employees are second to none;
healthcare, on‐site doctors, defined contribution retirement plan, legal aid,
tuition reimbursement, complimentary fitness center, five‐month paid maternity
leave, paternity leave, on‐campus child‐care, etc.
○ Death benefits to surviving spouses that are unheard of in most industries.
Surviving spouse receives half of the decedent’s salary for 10 years after passing,
plus an additional $1,000 per month for each child of decedent.
○ Miscellaneous perks such as free meals throughout the day, free shuttle
transportation to and from work, and nap pods promote a positive attitude,
loyalty among its staff, and overall employee engagement.
○ Google is able to display and be acknowledged for its superior culture by being
ranked #1 on the Forbes List of America’s Best Employers. 33

● Other Genuine Assets That Google Possesses
○ Name/Brand Recognition ‐ Google has now become a universally used verb to
describe searching for something online.
○ Google Maps is the number one map & directions program service on the
internet, and is continuously updated to account for the ever‐changing residence
and business entity locations throughout the world.
30
31
"What Percent of Google Employees Are from the Ivy Leagues? What Percent Are from State Universities? Any from
a Community College?" Quora. Quora, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.quora.com/What‐percent‐of‐Google‐employees‐are‐from‐the‐Ivy‐leagues‐What‐percent‐are‐from‐state
‐universities‐Any‐from‐a‐community‐college>.
32
33
"Google." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. <http://www.forbes.com/companies/google/>.

○ According to StatCounter, as of January 2015, Google Chrome has surpassed
Internet Explorer as being the most widely used web browser on the Internet. 34
○ None of these achievements could be possible without the progression and
advancement through continuous R&D endeavours.


Vigilance to forces of change: What forces of change are driving R&D?
● Technological Advancements
○ Google’s primary reasoning for investing in R&D is built on the very notion that
technology is constantly changing. 35
○ Google strives to be at the forefront of technological advancements; whether
they are the creators of that advancement, or the entity that must follow suit
with whatever breakthrough might occur.
○ One specific example, they are constantly updating their search Algorithm to
take into account the ongoing creation of ‘low quality’ websites; the goal is
aimed at ensuring a stress‐free user experience by striving to eliminate websites
in a user’s search results that contain excessive amounts of spam. 36
○ Google acknowledges that every facet of their business faces immense
competition and invests greatly in R&D to make sure they remain successful by
continuously innovating and providing their users with the best possible service
in order to retain both their users and advertisers. 37

● Population & Demographic Changes
○ As our society becomes more and more tech savvy, Google needs to remain
superior to both its existing and its potential competitors.
○ The approach to new developments for customers can range from products and
services being simpler and more user‐friendly, to being more holistic and
all‐encompassing. Google attempts to correlate these developments to users’
needs evolving over time.
○ Google recognizes that one of its primary risks is that a major downturn in the
economy can cause a massive loss in revenue due to a substantial cut in
advertising spending from any of their clients. In order to hedge this risk, they
34
"Chrome 15 Becomes World's Most Popular Browser." StatCounter Global Stats. StatCounter, n.d. Web. 11 Apr.
2015. <http://gs.statcounter.com/press/chrome‐15‐becomes‐worlds‐most‐popular‐browser>.
35
Spector, Alfred, Peter Norvig, and Slav Petrov. "Google's Hybrid Approach to Research." Research at Google (n.d.):
n. pag. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.
<http://static.googleusercontent.com/media/research.google.com/en/us/pubs/archive/38149.pdf>.
36
37

continually invest in R&D to look for new products or services they can create to
be less dependent on advertisers. 38

● Changes in Laws & Regulations
○ Google faces ongoing scrutiny from regulatory agencies and incur numerous
costs associated with this in order to demonstrate its legitimacy. 39
○ Further, the company is aware that it needs to be actively prepared for any
potential litigation and have the funds to beat it while remaining fully
operational day to day.
○ Changes in laws, particularly those related to patents, can have a tremendous
impact on Google. Certain aspects of R&D relate to systematically breaking down
the complexities and subjectivity of these technology‐based laws in order for the
firm to remain a top competitor.

Disciplined Performance Measurement and Valuation
● After going public in 2004, Google has a market capitalization ranking in the top five
companies in the world.
● The company refers to having a ‘Hybrid Approach to Research’, whereby it aims to blur
the lines between Research and Engineering in order to achieve its overall mission of
‘organizing the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful’.
Teams working on different projects strive to find the right balance of each subject to
maintain an optimal level of development, and make adjustments accordingly. This can
mean moving employees around to provide each team with the right balance of
expertise, or coming to a general consensus that a certain project may be not be worth
the time and resources put into it. 40
● Another characteristic of this approach is to take a very distant advancement the team
is working towards, and then categorize and quantify the steps that must be undertaken
to attain such advancement. This metric is paramount to the firm’s long‐term goals. 41
● How the firm values ‘success’ is whether or not they deem it to have a significant effect
in the areas of academia and/or business. To measure the impact on business, they can
look to the revenues and rate‐of‐return generated from that project’s product or
38
39
40
n. pag. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.
41
n. pag. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.

service. For academia, they tend to focus more on the project’s presence within
scholarly journals and publications within higher education. 42

Company Performance

42
n. pag. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.

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