Effects of the Google Executive Jet on Entreprneuers
This morning’s Mercury News business section, opened with a story called Executive Jet Blues, about the jet purchased by Google co-founders. It was Mike Langberg’s opinion piece that prompted me to the keyboard.
I’ve had many discussions about what drives entrepreneurs to continue doing what they do. At these levels of success, they certainly don’t need the paycheck, and often after the first start-up, and a brief rest period, they’re off to the next venture. Why? Because they can!
It’s actually more complicated then that. All the over achievers suffer from the same symptoms. Regardless of your success, there’s always more success around the corner. So, you’ve grown a company to a $75M acquisition, how about targeting a $400M IPO? And once, you’ve taken that company public, how about growing revenue from $40M to $400M? And then, let’s see what it takes to get into the Nasdaq 100?
When we open the newspaper and read about CA king beds and hammock’s in personal Boeing 767, it must ring some bell deep within the entrepreneur that says – “that sounds cool, I want one too”. Or something along those lines with some other “must have” item.
As a venture capitalist, I am thankful to these folks, since they’re my bread and butter. As a mother and wife, I often wonder if they’re not personally better off shifting their focus to community service (teaching? we can sure use them both in the US and Israel!).
I doubt many would agree with this opinion, but I don't think there is much that Larry/Sergey could teach early-stage entrepreneurs. I believe that Google's success was more about timing and luck than anything either of the founders did.
Posted by: Andrew Fife | July 11, 2006 at 07:16 AM
Luck and timing can never hurt! I'm sure many entrepreneurs idolize these guys, and would be delighted to be hanging hammocks in their 767's...
Posted by: taliaben | July 11, 2006 at 08:07 AM