What will I learn about: identify and recruit 'smart creatives' who powerfully combine technical expertise, business savvy, and a highly curious, ambitious mindset?

Learn how to identify and recruit 'smart creatives' who powerfully combine technical expertise, business savvy, and a highly curious, ambitious mindset.

What will I learn about: why superior product development trumps fancy marketing strategies in a digital world where consumers demand the highest quality?

Understand why superior product development trumps fancy marketing strategies in a digital world where consumers demand the highest quality.

What will I learn about: the benefits of using a diverse hiring committee rather than a single manager to objectively evaluate a candidate's data, imagination, and passion?

Discover the benefits of using a diverse hiring committee rather than a single manager to objectively evaluate a candidate's data, imagination, and passion.

What will I learn about: how to retain restless, top-tier talent by constantly challenging their intellect and actively engaging them in high-level strategic discussions?

Find out how to retain restless, top-tier talent by constantly challenging their intellect and actively engaging them in high-level strategic discussions.

What will I learn about: the art of building a free-thinking corporate culture that empowers independent decision-making and attracts intrinsically motivated problem solvers?

Master the art of building a free-thinking corporate culture that empowers independent decision-making and attracts intrinsically motivated problem solvers.

How Google Works

An insider's guide to one of the biggest companies in the world

Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg

★ 4.4 / 5(121 ratings)

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Categories:

Entrepreneurship Management & Leadership

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Have you ever wondered how Google manages to stay as fast and innovative as a tiny start-up, even while scaling into a global powerhouse?
💡What’s the secret to attracting and leading 'smart creatives'—the rare breed of employees who are the real engine behind Google’s massive success?
💡Are you curious about the unconventional management rules Google used to transform from a chaotic tech start-up into one of the most successful companies in history?

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Key Takeaways from How Google Works

✓Learn how to identify and recruit 'smart creatives' who powerfully combine technical expertise, business savvy, and a highly curious, ambitious mindset.
✓Understand why superior product development trumps fancy marketing strategies in a digital world where consumers demand the highest quality.
✓Discover the benefits of using a diverse hiring committee rather than a single manager to objectively evaluate a candidate's data, imagination, and passion.
✓Find out how to retain restless, top-tier talent by constantly challenging their intellect and actively engaging them in high-level strategic discussions.
✓Master the art of building a free-thinking corporate culture that empowers independent decision-making and attracts intrinsically motivated problem solvers.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from How Google Works

Mind Map

How Google Works

The Core Asset: Smart Creatives+

Hiring & Retention+

Company Culture+

Strategy & Planning+

Decision Making+

Information & Openness+

Fostering Innovation+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8

What does Google consider the most crucial factor for winning and retaining customers in the modern business world?

A. Implementing aggressive and fancy marketing strategies.
B. Developing the best possible product.
C. Offering the lowest prices in the market.
D. Creating a strict, hierarchical corporate structure.

Question 2 of 8

How does Google approach the hiring process to avoid subjective decisions?

A. By relying solely on the supervising manager's intuition.
B. By outsourcing all hiring to specialized recruiting agencies.
C. By using hiring committees to represent different viewpoints and roles.
D. By relying exclusively on hard data and ignoring candidates' personal interests.

Question 3 of 8

According to the text, what is an effective way to retain restless and ambitious 'smart creatives'?

A. Offering them massive financial bonuses every quarter.
B. Giving them strict marching orders to keep them focused.
C. Promoting them to management positions immediately.
D. Challenging their intellect by including them in high-level meetings.

Question 4 of 8

Why do the authors argue against creating traditional, step-by-step business plans?

A. They do not leave room to adapt to unexpected changes and new challenges.
B. They are too expensive and time-consuming to write.
C. They give competitors too much insight into the company's future.
D. They require too much input from smart creatives.

Question 5 of 8

When managing smart creatives, what is the primary role of a leader during the decision-making process?

A. To make the final call quickly to avoid wasting time.
B. To enforce a lively discussion rather than dictate a decision.
C. To align with senior management's predetermined choices.
D. To ensure that the most senior engineer always gets their way.

Question 6 of 8

How does Google foster an open and collaborative environment regarding company information?

A. By restricting access to quarterly reports to the board of directors.
B. By keeping individual objectives secret to prevent internal competition.
C. By sharing quarterly reports with all employees and maintaining an open intranet called Moma.
D. By appointing a Chief Innovation Officer to exclusively distribute necessary information.

Question 7 of 8

Which of the following is an effective method mentioned in the text for creating a climate that encourages innovation?

A. Appointing a 'Chief Innovation Officer' to lecture engineers.
B. Allocating 100 percent of the company budget to safe, core projects.
C. Setting goals that challenge employees by '10xing' initial targets.
D. Eliminating deadlines entirely so employees have infinite time to think.

Question 8 of 8

What was the result of Google allowing engineers to spend 20 percent of their time at work pursuing whatever projects they liked?

A. The creation of the Moma intranet system.
B. The development of one of their most successful products, Gmail.
C. A significant decrease in overall company productivity.
D. The successful negotiation of a major deal with AOL.

How Google Works — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
21 — Outstanding products built by exceptional employees are essential for business success.
32 — Make hiring and keeping smart creatives a top priority in your company.
43 — Create a free-thinking, creative company culture that attracts excellence-driven employees.
54 — Prepare for unexpected challenges by building a strategic foundation that allows for change.
65 — When leading smart creatives, your role is to encourage lively debate, not dictate decisions.
76 — Smart creatives flourish in open, collaborative work environments.
87 — You can’t force innovation, but you can build a climate that encourages it.
98 — Final summary

How Google Works Summary & Overview

How Google Works shares business insights from one of the most successful technology start-ups in history. Written by the former top executives at the company, the book lays out, step by step, Google’s path to success; a roadmap that your company can follow, too.