The
CEO of Google and Alphabet opens up about the transformative future of tech,
lessons learned on the path to success, and how Wharton alumni have shaped one
of the world’s most powerful companies.
GUEST BLOG / by Richard
Rys, Writer, Wharton (UPenn) Magazine
Published
as “Sundar Pichai WG02 Wants to Change Your Life” in the Spring/Summer 2020
issue of Wharton Magazine.
“One piece of advice I
might offer, and it took me some time to learn this myself, is that doing
things well is more important than doing things fast.”
Four years ago, on the
floor of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Sundar Pichai began
chatting with a representative who was showing off a smart refrigerator. Pichai
had been promoted to CEO of Google just a few months before, but among the
throngs at CES, he still managed to circulate in anonymity.
Even
after looking at the name on his badge, the rep had no clue that this curious,
friendly inquisitor was one of the most powerful people in technology. Of
course, that was before Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin stepped
aside in December 2019 and added CEO of Alphabet, Google’s holding company, to
Pichai’s title.
There’s
no flying under the radar for the 47-year-old now. From authoring an op-ed on
data privacy for the New York Times last year, to speaking about the boundless
possibilities for artificial intelligence at the World Economic Forum in
January, to penning a message to his employees — and the globe — about Google’s
response and responsibility in the age of COVID-19, Pichai’s profile is high,
and his influence is profound.
Consider
his company’s reach: Besides the search engine that’s both a brand and a verb,
there are the Google products that touch nearly every aspect of our lives
(Gmail, Docs, Android, Maps, etc.); YouTube (the world’s second most visited
website, behind Google itself, of course); and companies under the Alphabet
umbrella (Waze, Nest, and more). Nine of his projects boast one billion users,
and five are nearly at two billion.
Ask
those who know him to describe Pichai, and “humble” is a word you’ll invariably
hear. That’s a reflection of both his personal journey — from a modest
childhood in India to attending college in the U.S. and eventually earning a
Wharton MBA — and his professional path. Pichai didn’t start in the C-suite; he
worked on Google’s search bar when he joined the company in 2004 and then
spearheaded the creation of its Chrome browser.
Throughout
his ascent, Pichai continued to push Google’s innovation and maximize its
talent. As Page wrote in a 2014 memo, “Sundar has a tremendous ability to see
what’s ahead and mobilize teams around the super important stuff.” Last year,
when Google’s founders stepped back and officially handed the keys over to
Pichai, they offered this endorsement: “There is no one that we have relied on
more since Alphabet was founded, and no better person to lead Google and
Alphabet into the future.”
From
his office at the Googleplex in Mountain View, Pichai shared thoughts on his
career, the potential for AI and quantum computing, the responsibility of
protecting data, the impact of Wharton alumni within Alphabet’s companies, and
what the married father of two enjoys when he’s not running one of the world’s
most important businesses.
Question: Wharton
Magazine:
What was life like growing up in Chennai? I understand your family didn’t have
a TV or telephone.
Answer: Sundar Pichai: I have fond memories
of my childhood. It had its challenges — we didn’t have running water at times,
for example — but there was happiness in the simplicity of it all. I grew up in
a culture where people valued learning and community. My parents instilled in
me the value of humility and working hard to do good for others. I was
fascinated by technology from a young age. Each new technology changed my
family’s life in meaningful ways. The telephone saved us long trips to the
hospital for test results. The refrigerator meant we could spend less time
preparing meals, and a new television allowed us to see the world news and
cricket matches. It’s what inspired me to want to be a part of building
technology that helped improve people’s lives.
Q.
You joined Google in 2004 and led the development of Toolbar, Android, and
Chrome. How did Chrome influence your growth and the growth of the company?
A.
Today, Chrome is a very popular browser, but when we first launched the
product, not everyone was on board. It wasn’t clear that the world needed
another browser, so we had to be very clear that our goal wasn’t to build a
browser. We wanted to build a better Web. In the lead-up to the release in
2008, we sweated every detail and thought through our launch plans. Chrome
launched to incredibly positive reviews, but initially, usage was very low
— just one percent market share. I
realized you can spend years building a great product, but that doesn’t mean
people are going to use it. We learned hard lessons about how to scale up the
product, and I learned that working through failures is a natural part of
success. Chrome has also played a
significant role in Google’s growth. It paved the way for Chromebooks, Chrome
OS, and Chrome Apps. By making the Web more modern, Chrome helped us deliver on
our information mission and advance our core products and platforms, from
YouTube to Gmail.
Pichai’s Path
The rise
from Wharton MBA to Google/Alphabet CEO was a swift one. Here’s how he got
there.
2002
After
earning his M.S. in materials science and engineering at Stanford and working
as an engineer and product manager, Pichai earns his MBA from Wharton and is
named a Siebel Scholar and a Palmer Scholar.
2004
Pichai
interviews for a job at Google on the day it launches Gmail. Among his first
jobs at the company: overseeing Google’s toolbar.
2008
Google’s
Chrome browser, one of Pichai’s biggest successes, debuts.
2011
Pichai
becomes senior VP of Google Chrome and Apps, including Gmail, Docs, and Drive.
2013
Pichai
takes over Google’s Android division.
2014
In an
executive reorganization, CEO Larry Page steps back, and Pichai is named head
of search, maps, research, Google+, commerce and ads, and infrastructure — all
while still overseeing Chrome, Android, and Apps.
2015
Pichai is
named CEO of Google as Alphabet is formed.
2019
Founders
Page and Sergey Brin announce Pichai as the CEO of both Google and Alphabet.
Q.
Your rise to become CEO of Alphabet is a testament to your talents in
navigating the politics of a massive, fast-growing, pressure-packed company.
What lessons have you learned along the way, and what advice would you give?
A:
I’ve never thought of it that way, probably because I don’t see success as a
zero-sum game. I’ve found that people tend to succeed together. We don’t build
technology in isolation; it requires the collaboration of entire teams to get
it right. So I’ve always thought about it with that lens and have seen my peers
as partners. This is a quality that serves you well at Google; the culture
really is about building on each other’s ideas, making them better, and
cheering each other on. One piece of advice I might offer, and it took me some
time to learn this myself, is that doing things well is more important than
doing things fast. It can be hard to maintain that perspective in a fast-moving
industry like tech, but when I look back, some of the most successful products
were not first to market. So the best advice I can give is that when you’re
working at scale, adopt a long-term view, listen to feedback, and make sure you
get things right.
Q.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, you said that AI’s potential
impact on health care “will be more profound to humanity than electricity and
fire.” This was after your study showed Google AI could detect breast cancer
with greater accuracy than humans interpreting mammograms. What are the
obstacles that stand in the way of more breakthroughs, and what’s the
potential?
A.
Artificial Intelligence has profound potential not just for health care, but
for every industry and part of society. It allows us to understand and make
sense of the world around us in a deeper way than ever before. Health care is
only one example; we’re seeing how AI can help doctors screen for things like
diabetic retinopathy, lung cancer, and breast cancer, and better predict heart
attacks and strokes. We find that in these cases, this is freeing up doctors to
spend more time with patients and focus on care. It’s also helping with crisis
response and prevention, with more precise flood warnings and rainfall
forecasting, and helping researchers do a better job predicting earthquake
aftershocks. Waymo’s technology could help address more than a million deaths
caused by car crashes every year and make the world’s roads much safer. These
are just a few examples, and we’re still not even scratching the surface.
Q.
AI has the potential to improve billions of lives. The biggest risk of AI
technology development may be failing to develop it at all. Of course, we need
to remain clear-eyed about what could go wrong. There are real concerns about
the potential negative consequences of AI, from deep fakes to nefarious uses of
facial recognition, which is why I’ve called for sensible regulation. No one
company or industry can solve these challenges alone. We will need
international alignment and agreement on core values across companies and
industries.
Q:
Quantum computing is a passion of yours and has been a 13-year investment for
the company. In October, Google announced it had achieved “quantum supremacy” —
a quantum computer performing a task that traditional computers couldn’t. You
compared the feat to the Wright brothers’ flight. What’s next, and how do you
hope to apply this technology someday?
A.
We’ve always believed in long-term bets — we call them moonshots. And we’ve
always known that quantum computing is one of those important moonshots.
Quantum computing gives us a chance to achieve many practical-use cases and
help make the world better in a way that we can’t with classical computers
alone. It also helps us understand the universe in a deeper way, closer to the
way it actually works, and that’s something that really excites us. We see
potential for designing better batteries, which would benefit the environment
by making electric cars more appealing and the energy grid more efficient. It
could help waste far less energy when creating fertilizer, which is important
when you think about how today, the chemical process of nitrogen fixation
creates more than two percent of the world’s carbon emissions. Quantum
computing could also help researchers figure out what molecules might make
effective medicines, which has a lot of exciting implications. These
applications are still years away, but we’re excited about what’s ahead.
Q.
When you hear the phrase “No one lies to his search engine” and consider
Google’s entry into health care, what are your thoughts on the company’s
growing responsibility to assure the public that its information won’t be
abused? People come to Google every day
to get information to help them with every part of their lives, including
sensitive topics like health. This requires trust, and we work hard to earn
that trust and provide better experiences for users, whether they’re using
Search, Gmail, Google Photos, Maps, or any of our other products. We are
thoughtful about every part of the user experience. Emerging technologies like
AI have the potential to assist in diagnosing cancer, predicting patient
outcomes, and preventing blindness, as well as to provide clinicians with tools
to improve patient care. We’re working closely with our health customers and
partners to ensure that as we develop new products and services, we maintain
this trust as well as comply with the regulations and policies that are already
in place that protect privacy in health-care settings such as hospitals.
Q.
You’ve said you think the world will move toward the EU’s approach regarding
data privacy, with more measures like GDPR and “the right to be forgotten.” How
do you see that developing in the U.S., and how can a company like Google balance
those interests with innovation and the bottom line?
A.
I do think GDPR can serve as a framework for how the rest of the world can
think about privacy regulation, and I’m glad Europe took the lead on it.
Privacy is at the heart of all we do, and I think it’s a misconception that
protecting users’ privacy is somehow at odds with innovation. There’s a lot we
can do for our users with less data. We’re leading the way in artificial
intelligence advances that enable us to strengthen our products and privacy
protections, all while using less personal data. For example, a technique
called federated learning means that everyday tasks, from captioning phone
conversations for the hard of hearing to learning new words on Gboard — our
keyboard on iOS and Android devices — can be done without any raw data ever
leaving your device. Over time, I think we can do more things on-device. We can
use AI and innovation to actually preserve privacy as we improve user
experiences.
 |
| "Loretta" Google's 2020 SuperBowl Adv. Click here. |
Q.
We, at Wharton Magazine applaud you for that Google ad during the Super Bowl —
it was tough to keep the tears out of my nacho dip. How important is it for
Google to be likable, and what’s your strategy beyond heartstring-tugging TV
spots?
A.
So glad you liked it. We were honored to tell the story of Loretta in our Super
Bowl ad and were thrilled, though not surprised, that it resonated so deeply
with people. This spot really gets to the heart of what we’re trying to do with
our products, which is to be helpful to people in moments big and small. Over
the past couple of years, we’ve evolved from a company that helps people find
answers to a company that helps you save time, get things done, and connect
with the people and moments that matter. Simply put, we are now focused on
building a more helpful Google for everyone, which to us means providing the
tools to increase the world’s knowledge, success, health, and happiness. That’s
the lens through which we view all of our products, and the story of Loretta is
meaningful to us.
Q.
Culture is a big part of Google’s identity, and you’ve already tweaked some
aspects, like the famously freewheeling TGIF meetings. Given the company’s
scale and age — it turns 22 this September — is it inevitable that the culture
will change? How do you ensure that Google is a great place to work?
A.
We’re proud to be recognized as a great place to work, one where people of
different views, backgrounds, and experiences can do their best work and where
their contributions have a positive impact on the world. Our culture is built
on openness, transparency, and collaboration, and there are a lot of traditions
we cherish as a company. Our all-company TGIF meetings are one of them. They
used to be socials that we could hold in one room. Now, they’re global, with a
potential for more than 100,000 attendees. We are keeping our all-company
meeting with a few tweaks and also adding more forums at the group or division
level. You’ll find that most employees joining Google today are blown away by
the amount of transparency within a company of our scale.
Q:
What do you think is ahead in this decade for Alphabet and for tech in general?
What’s the next big leap forward?
A.
The wider adoption and application of artificial intelligence is an important
trend that’s still in its earliest stages, and we’re going to continue to see
improvements in our products and our ability to benefit society as a result.
Ambient computing is another trend that I’m excited about, because it will mean
computing is working in a way that’s much more intuitive to the way people
live, and not the other way around. One example I see is using augmented
reality in Google Maps in a much more integrated way, so that when you’re
walking around in a neighborhood, there’s a layer of AR showing you things like
the vegetarian options at nearby restaurants. Or as a sports fan, you can get a
lot more information about the matches as you’re watching them. I’m excited
about the possibilities there.
Q.
On a personal note, what do you enjoy in the rare moments when you’re not
working on or thinking about all things Alphabet?
A.
I try to carve out time where I’m not thinking about work — I spend most time
outside the office with my family, friends, and my dog, Jeffree. I also read a
lot — a passion I picked up from my mother. I am also known, correctly, as a
huge cricket fan — last summer, I was able to attend the India- U.K. cricket
match, and it was a dream come true for me. I also am a devoted fan of
football, especially FC Barca, and I enjoy a good TV show. I recently finished
season three of The Crown — so good!
Q.
Google’s founders installed a dinosaur statue on the campus as a reminder that
nothing lasts forever. How do you avoid complacency within the company and keep
the business relevant and vital?
A.
Yes, his name is Stan, and he’s a model of a T. rex. Stan is a good reminder
that success is never guaranteed. When you look at companies that don’t make
it, they usually fail because they’re focused on the wrong things. They take
success for granted and stop listening to their customers and users. I don’t
want us to fall into this way of thinking. Ultimately, we succeed only when
others — partners, developers, customers, users, and communities — succeed.
That’s why we build open platforms like Google Play, Android, and TensorFlow —
so that others can innovate on top of them. We empower businesses of all sizes
with the tools to grow and thrive. And it’s why we invest in communities where
we operate, such as our $1 billion commitment to affordable housing in the San
Francisco Bay Area. We must constantly be thinking about how we can continue to
focus on our users and our biggest opportunities to improve their lives.
 |
| Stan, the T-Rex dinosaur on the Google Campus, Mountain View, CA |
The
end.
Published as “Sundar
Pichai WG02 Wants to Change Your Life” in the Spring/Summer 2020 issue of
Wharton Magazine.
No comments:
Post a Comment