Eric Schmidt, once at the helm of Google, became famous for his stance on privacy, stating, “If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it.”
Ironically, Schmidt himself had preferences for keeping aspects of his life private: his income, neighborhood, hobbies, and donations to political organizations. When reporters published these details, Google promptly imposed an interview ban on the concerned magazine.
Internally, during the 2000s, Schmidt was recognized at Google for his strong emphasis on the core business. Keeping the focus on search and its related functions aimed to avoid antagonizing formidable competitors.
In a 2021 interview, Schmidt mentioned that Google’s founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, had early intentions to develop a browser and operating system, which he adamantly opposed: “Microsoft will kill us, and I don’t want to be killed. Yes, you’re very smart, and we have a bunch of smart people and generate a lot of revenue, but they will massacre us, I’ve been through that.”
Despite his objections, the development of Chrome began covertly. Initially disguised as a project to enhance Firefox’s performance, the foundation for the Google browser was laid after a year and a half.
To Schmidt’s dismay, around a dozen individuals at Google secretly achieved what he had sought to prevent. One of the involved parties was the current Google CEO, Sundar Pichai.
The untold story behind Chrome’s success and numerous shelved Google projects is the focus of our podcast.
In our podcast, “Besser Wissen,” we entertainingly inform audiences about technology and scientific topics. We engage with the Golem.de editorial team and conduct interviews with external experts. Each episode delves into a specific theme from multiple perspectives.
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