From Dave Pollard writing at How to Change the World comes this gem of insight: (Bold for my emphasis)
Now enter Google. They fulfil needs, wants, and nice-to-haves, all free. So those of us on the leading side of the digital divide gratefully take all three, and we don't even really differentiate between them (unless some of the nice-to-haves unduly complicate the application, in which case we don't want them). Those on the other side of the digital divide get none of them, widening the divide to a chasm. The market understands none of this behaviour, since it doesn't conform to any accepted business model. Google doesn't really seem to care. They're too busy doing what they do so well -- delighting customers with valuable, intuitive, boldly innovative and expansive new products, on a scale that is the envy of every entrepreneur.
There is one last 'search' frontier that Google has not yet conquered, however, and it could be Google's biggest hit yet, and possibly generate significant revenue as well. Google is well established as the company that best helps you find what. And recently with Google Maps/Earth they are becoming established as the company that best helps you find where. What if Google is now working on becoming the company that best helps you find who? The company that becomes the expertise finders, the shared-interest finders, the companion finders, the people who, at last, will help us find, effectively and intuitively, the people we're looking for, not just their stuff. And not just find them, but make sure they're available (and if applicable affordable) and seamlessly put us in touch with them. Read the full posting here. |
