How Google Works Book Summary

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Key Insights

Through tactics both innovative and practical, authors Schmidt and Rosenberg explore the secrets behind Google’s success, offering a unique perspective on what has--and what has not--worked in pushing the rapidly-growing technology company to the pinnacle of global achievement. By employing non-traditional methods, making strategic hiring decisions, and by fostering an office culture that incorporates creativity and self-care, Schmidt and Rosenberg take readers on an eye-opening journey through the inner-workings of this Silicon Valley superpower.

Great Products

Often, we think of products as dictated by the companies that manufacture them. But what about the consumers who are driving the market? Through the Internet, customers have endless options when it comes to choosing a product. While this oversaturation could intimidate a company that is trying to enter a particular market, successful companies use the threat of competition as motivation to create the most efficient products they can.

Another shift in product development is that companies can now develop a product in just a few months and pass it along to millions with ease.

For this reason, a solid product is even more important than a strong marketing strategy. If the product is high quality, the cash-flow will follow. 

Google focused on creating the most efficient search engine they could with the hope that if the product was innovative enough, it would essentially sell itself. In the end, it did.

In developing a quality product, individuals must find the sweet spot between technical expertise, business acumen, and creative skill.

Smart Creatives

After the product, authors Schmidt and Rosenberg encourage focus on another key priority: hiring smart creatives. While hiring decisions sometimes fall to a supervising manager, a comprehensive hiring committee is necessary to best represent the varied perspectives within the company.

Candidates should be reviewed analytically and then in terms of their resume, references, and past experiences. Through this thorough vetting process, companies are minimizing bias rather than leaving crucial decisions to one subjective view.

At Google, Schmidt was known for asking potential employees unique questions, based on passions and interests, rather than assessing them from career-focused data points alone.

He would then go on to ask himself if each candidate was someone he would enjoy having a conversation within an airport.

This is to assess if people are drawn to the company culture rather than the financial compensation.

However, once a smart creative is hired, the work is not over. Just as it is important to acquire motivated, hard-working individuals, it is equally necessary to retain them.

Schmidt encourages company leadership to find ways to challenge their “restless” employees when you think they might leave. For instance, when one employee was planning to leave, Schmidt invited him to a series of meetings that he had not previously been able to attend. This way, the employee was having a new experience--but still remained at the company for another two years.

Free-Thinking Culture

Authors Schmidt and Rosenberg stipulate that free-thinking culture promotes interaction among employees, the freedom to speak one’s mind, and the opportunity to make decisions autonomously.

While Google embraces the stated principles, employees are also encouraged to familiarize...

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