Eventually some consulting firm will be founded based on the idea that people want to know what Google will do next and is willing to pay to find out. Actually the idea is not that far fetched since Microsoft has just one such firm tracking its every single move called Directions On Microsoft. I’ve read some of their stuff and its actually pretty good. The most useful and insightful are their indepth knowlege of the Microsoft org chart and how strategies relates to the people issues in the company - and vice versa.
Until then, we’ll have to settle on Nivi and me playing casandra to the masses. While Nivi takes a “inferential” approach to his predictive model:
Take any piece of software you use all day: e.g. address book, calendar, web browser, iTunes, MS Office, stock charts.
Ask yourself: “What do I really really really wish this product could do?”
Wait for Google to make your dream come true. Or develop the dream product yourself so you can sell it to AOL/Yahoo/IAC/MS when Google launches their version.
I will take the bottom up HR driven approach. . . (althought the predictions are the same). . . Basically this is what we lay man knows about Google.
1. The famous spend 20% of your time working on whatever project you want directive
2. Engineers/PHD’s runs the company
3. Its a bottoms up culture where ideas are bubbled up to marketing, PM rarely dictate product direction w/o engineering buyin
4. Kinda like the premodial goo, chaos breeds creativity and eventually something great will happen
So what does this have to do with WWGD? Well, since most products/ideas are initiated by engineers who spends most of their time at Google coding away or playing with colleagues this is what I say Google is generally up to.
1. Innovation that is driven by coders as end-users (dont expect Google Supply Chain Optimizer anytime soon)
2. Products that is widely used (Skype) by Google community of engineers
3. Common products they think they can do one better (sometime naively - ie opening up AIM)
4. BHAG, costly, ambitious, ideas (scanning books? wifi net?) that can only be pushed through in a company not using NPV analysis
5. Consumer applications or services (+ maybe Engineering related products)
Now, I just have to sit and wait 
maybe someone more qualified will chime in
i.m.h.o.
I agree most of your comments. Google is keeping away many email acc holders with Gmail too. They are trying to keep it simple and effective however they really miss a lot on the end user experience. I believe that Google must find much interesting ideas. Some of them can be called charity but I was waiting for something better than ” Talk”
Comment by Tahir — September 6, 2005 @ 1:06 pm