Interesting take from the O'Reilly Radar on the Google factory tour--or better said, a slam.
I'm attending the Google Factory Tour today, and I've figured out what bugs me about Google's public presentations.... we've seen over-produced video segments cut as though for MTV, putting "about our company" banalities against shots of the executives making funny faces... the tone just feels all wrong. It's akin to watching comedy from a foreign culture; you can see that the director and the editor think this next part should be funny, but it's not.I think the author is a bit harsh. I think Google likes to portray itself as a different company and for example, having their CFO (Chief Food Officer) address analysts is meant to communicate fun not incompetence. Sounds like they may need to add some traditional elements to these sort of meet-ups. But I know the stuff I like about company meetings is seeing new product releases, achievements and a sense of humor. Financials by companies usually show graphs up and to the right. They never change much. I think the only way you really know companies are doing well is to look at what's actually coming out of them. Check out Greg's weblog for a good overview of the tour.
