It's not just about the level of talent but about what Google can afford to do. Google banks so much cash from search advertising that it can bankroll all of these other internal projects that might not impact revenue at all, and their cashflow and stock price is so high that no one is stressed about costs or deadlines. As Mel Brooks's said, it's good to be the king. If Google was pressured by competitors and falling stock prices you would quickly see the whole picture revert to the traditional management-says-get-this-shit-done-now project management.
