I think Google owes a great deal to the work I did in creating the hippy Briarpatch and in one of the outcomes of the Briarpatch, the publishing of Marketing Without Advertising with Salli Rasberry.
Google is one of the most successful companies in history. Started by two students on credit card borrowings, bootstrapping the business at every point, the company became profitable in its third year and worth $50 billion in a little over five years with less than 2,000 employees.
There are six Briarpatch themes in Google.
First and most important is the attitude toward advertising. Google was not only opposed to advertising but they have kept their opening search page stark, white and blatantly free of ads.
Secondly Google doesn’t do advertising.
Third, they don’t accept advertising (think banners on Yahoo). They only sell listings and the listings are kept separate from the search results and don’t influence the search results. The opposite of magazines, TV and newspapers (A listing is information in a place where the consumer is looking for it.)
Fourth, the principals are simple livers, hostile to ostentation and waste. That attitude is built into the company’s founding and culture.
Fifth, the company was built by bootstrapping: a fundamental requirement of Briarpatch businesses.
Sixth, the workplace is fun with games, volleyball, frequent company parties, free lunchroom with chefs and constant technological stimulus.
I’m proud of my contribution to Google. A proof of concept on a large scale.