Around Quote by Taavet Hinrikus
“If we think about how long Google spent searching - I think they came around in '98? And, OK, Gmail came in 2004, but it was literally built by one engineer as a 20%-time project. It was probably 10 years before Google started diversifying.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Podcast with Taavet Hinrikus, 2022
Early Google projects often began as small, low‑risk experiments that later became major products.
In simple terms: Big ideas can start as side projects.
Key Takeaway
Embrace low‑risk experiments.
Themes
innovation
risk
product development
Mood
inspirational
practical
Type
advice
case study
When to use this quote
- startup culture
- product launches
- team building
- resource constraints
Key Concepts
incremental innovation
skunkworks
resource allocation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you protect a side project from being ignored?
- What resources are essential for scaling a small experiment?
A Different Perspective
Side projects may lack resources and visibility.
