
So, you wanna do business with Google? - chrisbroadfoot
http://techchomp.blogspot.com/2011/05/so-you-wanna-do-business-with-google.html
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ChuckMcM
This made me chuckle. Its true, if you work at Google people who you haven't
talked to in years, or who imagine they knew you back when, will approach you
to get you to hook them up with someone inside Google who can see the value of
their idea/product/company/etc.

My short answer got down to:

"So nice to hear from you, be successful in your endeavor, develop market
leadership, and execute faster than Google. The correct person from Google
will then contact you. Cheers!"

There are a lot of things you can say about Google but 'unaware' isn't one of
them. And especially if the technology at hand is so clearly a 'good fit' with
Google then you can assume that Google is aware of it and if they haven't
deployed it then _they have already rejected it_.

That last bit is key, for better or worse, nearly everyone at Google thinks
they know better than you, they are smarter than you (or you would be at
Google), and anything you think you know about the value of what you are doing
is wrong because if you were right Google would already do it.

Now you and I both know that with great hubris comes great blindness, but the
_only_ way to convince someone at Google that you've got an idea that is both
good and that they need, is to execute on it so well that it starts causing
them some pain. Just _telling_ them about it won't get you anywhere. Trying to
get a meeting where you want them to sign a deep NDA to prevent them from
stealing your idea is a non-starter.

The good news is that you don't have to worry about "getting in touch with the
right person" at Google. Don't spend any time on it. Just do what you're doing
well and if they care, they will get in touch with you. If they don't they
won't and you won't have wasted any time courting them.

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drallison
There is another issue which generally gets swept under the rug--the
liabilities to both parties related to disclosures of Intellectual Property.
Non-disclosure agreements don't really work, particularly if both parties are
actively working in the same area of technology. There is always the potential
that one or another of the parties may (inadvertently) insert IP owned by a
third-party. Even casual IP disclosures can pollute an employee and prevent
them from working in a particular area because they are tainted. Given the
problems and liabilities, it is amazing that any business ever gets done.

