Apigee API BaaS,
Fabric,
Google Search Appliance...
However, I was referring more to Google's general tendency to shut down projects across the board. The list of consumer products shut down by Google is pretty long (Google Reader, iGoogle, Aardvark, Google Inbox, Orkut, etc..)
None of those are part of Google Cloud. But really; I don't see a CTO making an informed decision on which cloud vendor to use by the fact that they liked Google Reader and Orkut 10 years ago. Just like I would not expect a good CTO to base their decision to not use AWS on Amazon discontinuing the Fire Phone in 2015.
Fair point. You're right about consumer product shutdowns not being a good reason to disregard Google's cloud offerings.
I think both Fabric and Apigee API BaaS where indeed Google Cloud offerings. Google Search Appliance if I'm not wrong was part of something called Google Enterprise which eventually folded into GCP.
GSA was a physical box you stick in your on-prem data center. It's about as un-Cloud as it gets, and IIRC its deprecation predates Google Cloud as a brand.
>>>> Which google cloud projects have shut down this past year? Or Ever, for that matter?
>> Apigee API BaaS, Fabric, Google Search Appliance...
Curious, what usually happens to the engineers on projects that get shut down? Do they get redeployed to other areas? What if the team is in a small office?
I've walked past the Apigee office in Reston, VA...what would happen to those engineers...i imagine there arent many other options for redeployment short of moving cities...
Those engineers shop themselves around and maybe move offices. Google often destaffs launched, current products so this is not too weird of a situation for a Googler to be in. It’s not something that happens only to canceled products.
Isnt it a little hypocritical for you to say this? I went through your profile and saw that you were involved with Contactive (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8096597) which doesnt exist anymore. I'm assuming that doesnt exist today because of very good reasons. Same for other companies as well.
Yes, I'm a hypocrite for having worked for a company that failed to find product-market fit and having the nerve to give an opinion about why I believe a company like Google should be more consistent with their product offering and the long-term vision of their ventures.
Thanks for pointing out my hypocrisy and why I don't have the right to have an opinion about anything anymore.
I also checked your profile and you're pretty good at defending everything Google does, but I don't judge you for having those opinions, nor I think you're a hypocrite for thinking in a certain way.
For the record, I upvoted you and I think its important everybody should read what you wrote. As you mentioned, companies need to be consistent with their product offering just like how we expect people we interact with online to be consistent as well.
If I criticize Company A for doing something, and goes around and does the same thing then it'll be very hypocritical of me.
The product-market fit you mentioned doesnt just happen for startup, but for big companies as well. A dollar is a dollar everywhere you go. Just like you found it was OK for your company to sunset a certain product, big companies also decide to do that.
Also, please dont put words into my mouth. I didnt say you dont have a right to say things. You do. But when you do, and please be open to replies.
Yes. Sorry for the angry response. I'm totally open to replies and debate. I just wanted to emphasize that I was merely giving an opinion and that I didn't think it was fair to characterize my comments as hypocritical.
Companies have the right to sunset products if they're not profitable. Of course, they do. I think the problem is that in general people have high expectations from companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. I certainly do, and that's why I think Google should be more committed to a long-term vision in their Cloud business.
