Google gophers going ?

Google is no longer the coolest place to work....

Hate to say "we predicted this" - but we did....last year in October after the GooTube Gambit - we wrote:

This is their Netscape Moment, when it becomes clear they are not really in the vanguard for the next wave.

Heres why:

(i) They clearly no longer “get it” - they have developed N new businesses in the past few years , few of which have really taken off, while all around them a new wave of creativity has started apace.

(ii) I don’t know how much was spent on Google Video, but even with all their king’s horses and men, they couldn’t get it together and a bunch of guys came from nowhere and stole the show.

(iii) They have already IPO’d and it is now (very) clear that the cool stuff (and increasingly the wealth) is being created elsewhere - how to retain the creative talent will be an increasing issue…

(iv) …especially as the thundering herd of the rest of VC community now tries to back every Bubble 2.0 company going. A million flowers will bloom, many will wither but some will flourish…

(v) …and Google can’t buy them all. Its share of mind and money must be diluted.

Hm.....probably a bit harsh re "not getting it"...thats not quite true, it becomes harder to "implement it" - its more that its just harder as previous Googletoes have to be stepped on to make new things happen

And actually Google probably could afford to buy all of them, but it seems they prefer to see a Darwinian competition in the moshpit, and the buy the survivors.

..Wonder if we will see not so much serial entrepreneurs as serial Google employees