Got some great reader comments that are worth sharing.
Charles Dunn is a serial CFO in California:
Here’s what I think she needs to do, and words in your piece are a clue: they were a “creative culture”, in the beginning. I think she needs to create quality products that customers find exciting and want. Starting with search, and continuing with email, and then other products as well. Both of their base products, search & email, have lost their edge. But everything they do has to be creative and high quality, better than the competition. So far they are falling behind. If you’ve got great products then the “bottom line” financially will take care of itself, and a profitable company will have a higher market value.
That’s why Apple is the highest market value company in the US and Microsoft has fallen behind (way behind, and is losing market value). The former has creative genius and recognizes and appreciates and attracts creative talent, and the latter is losing talent and is stale as regards the creation of exciting new products.
Jonel Brown is a corporate meeting producer.
I worked on Google National Sales Meetings for five years and got to know many of the execs. Most of the great ones have moved on to other companies – I hope Marissa is successful with Yahoo now, too. Although she does not need the money, Yahoo employees need a break from poor leadership. You’ve provided a solid blueprint – if someone will pay attention!
Carl King is retired Marine Corps major and former entrepreneur.
Dain has hit on three very important things that businesses need to keep at the top of their to do list. What if our government did the same thing??
