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Inside Google Ventures' Open Source Product Design Process

Posted by samzenpus on from the getting-it-started dept.

First time accepted submitter smaxp writes "Google Ventures is blazing a new trail for venture investors, delivering advice and services to its portfolio companies with in-house teams of experts in the fields of design, marketing, recruiting and engineering. I had a fascinating discussion with Google Ventures design partner Jake Knapp about how he and his four design partners help Google Ventures portfolio companies design better products and better businesses."

14 comments

  1. high-tech! by schneidafunk · · Score: 4, Funny

    Apparently the trick is to have post-it notes and colored stickers, based on the images in the articles

    --
    Some people die at 25 and aren't buried until 75. -Benjamin Franklin
    1. Re:high-tech! by auric_dude · · Score: 1

      What is Google Wave? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDu2A3WzQpo

    2. Re:high-tech! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry for not all having a group cluster**** on Evernote just so we can say we are all digital; the sticky notes seemed to work and they are like two pads for a dollar. We are busy reinventing other wheels, why should we reinvent brainstorming?

  2. open source the work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    privatize the profits

  3. Sure, make Google more money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We've already established how Google reached the height of its popularity. Now they seek to control the one thing they do not have: the businesses that buy advertising from them.

  4. Generic business plan by Animats · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The generic business plan of Google Ventures companies, based on their privacy policies, seems to be

    • Give away service for cheap or free
    • Ram anal probe up user's ass and collect data
    • Spam with ads.

    Even their thermostat phones home and sends data about when you're home to a server.

    1. Re:Generic business plan by AndyAndyAndyAndy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Modded "insightful" but not really sure what the insight is. It's a pretty established business plan for data companies. It smells like a criticism with the anal probe hyperbole, but not really sure what the point is.

      --
      It's always confirmation bias!
    2. Re:Generic business plan by TeknoHog · · Score: 2

      Google: putting the 'anal' in 'analysis' since 1998.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
    3. Re:Generic business plan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Modded "insightful" but not really sure what the insight is. It's a pretty established business plan for data companies. It smells like a criticism with the anal probe hyperbole, but not really sure what the point is.

      Not sure what the point is, huh? Let me introduce...

    4. Re:Generic business plan by Nerdfest · · Score: 1

      The point is the usual anti-Google FUD. In general, their a pretty well behaved company, and are exceptional compared to their competition. It's to the point though that even the non-paid are spreading the FUD. I'm not sure if it's that people hate to see companies doing well, or if they expect there to be no cost to internet services. I've been pretty impressed by Google's behaviour for the most part and I'd hate to see it get to the point that they behave as badly as their competition as they get criticized regardless of how they act.

  5. Too bad... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They obviously didn't listen to these guys when they put out the latest version of Google Maps on Android

  6. Google will own us all LOL by CaseyGirl007 · · Score: 1

    It's a matter of time until Google owns everything. I long ago gave up the idea of privacy. On a side note, anyone care to see my new site I've been working on? I know probably not all that great to what you guys might be able to do, but give a chick a high 5 for effort! http://ventura-computer-repair.com/

    --
    Owner of AV Computer Doctor, Mother of Ventura computer repair. http://ventura-computer-repair.com/
  7. Question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Question for anyone in the know- what's to stop Google from seeing how something *very much like* you described to them as a huge opportunity and just stealing the idea from you ?