INNOBLOG

A recent article in Business Week was titled Managing Google's Idea Factory. The article listed specific steps that Google is taking to encourage innovations, which are crucial for Google to be able to compete with giants like Microsoft and Yahoo! as well as newcomers like Technorati.

What do we like about their approach?

Rigor and discipline It is nice that Google mentions that not only creativity is key to their success, but so are the rigor and discipline behind their approach. The company has eight brainstorming sessions each year with 100 engineers. Six concepts are pitched and discussed for ten minutes each. The stated goal is to build on the initial idea with at least one complementary idea per minute.

Lead from the top Google recognizes that it is not enough to allow anyone at the firm to post thoughts for new technologies and businesses to mailing lists. They have instituted supporting processes that are led by management. Marissa Mayer, the Director of Web Products at Google, has open office hours much like a college professor where employees can talk through ideas. Google's personalized home page came out of this process. Also, all engineers have one day a week to develop their own pet projects, no matter how far from the company?s central mission. Google News came out of this process.

Act like a venture capitalist Google is willing to look for great ideas not only inside the company but outside as well. In 2004, the company bought Keyhole, which allowed them to develop Google Maps with sophisticated satellite imagery and maps

A key question is whether Google can sustain and continue to nurture this "innovation culture" as they grow. We'd love to hear your thoughts.