Two more high-level Google engineers have left the Googleplex — this time to join well-known venture capital firm Benchmark Capital.
Bret Taylor (left) and Jim Norris (right), two of the masterminds behind Google Maps and several other Google products, have joined the firm as “Entrepreneurs in Residence.” This gives them paid positions to hang out at Benchmark’s offices on Silicon Valley’s Sand Hill Road and think through starting a business. They have a specific idea in mind, but are secretive about it, telling VentureBeat only that it’s a “consumer Internet” company.
Benchmark has been loading up on EIRs lately — we reported last week on the hiring of Mike Cassidy for a similar position — in part because it is more aggressively investing in earlier companies. It now has four EIRs, up from two on average over the years. The EIR arrangement lets the firm build goodwill with entrepreneurs. In return, Benchmark expects entrepreneurs will look to Benchmark as their first source of funding. However, that requirement is not part of the contract, stresses Peter Fenton, a Benchmark partner.
Fenton looked up Bret Taylor last year. The two stayed in touch, and three months ago, Taylor indicated he was ready to start a company. Jim Norris was always in the picture, too, because he and Taylor are virtually inseparable. Both 26, they studied together at Stanford, sharing most of the same computer science courses, and have stayed together since.
There were six Google employees responsible for creating Google Maps. Taylor was the overall project leader, while Norris was responsible for the Web server side of the product. Google Maps became hugely popular, one of the first to be syndicated widely across the Web in the form of “mashups,” and is now stitched inside of tens of thousands of sites. The two joined Google in 2003. While early enough to benefit them considerably at the IPO, it wasn’t enough to give them the many millions that earlier employees enjoyed. They’re likely to want help with venture backing for their company, they said.
However, they said the move to Benchmark is really about the experience the firm offers. “It’s not about the money,” said Norris. While the pair are confident in their ability to build their idea, they want help learning what it takes to run a business, he said.
Like Cassidy, the duo will be able to sit in on pitches made by other entrepreneurs to Benchmark. Is there a risk they will steal ideas, as one commenter asked in our Cassidy post? Benchmark’s Fenton said their role will be disclosed to entrepreneurs, who will have the option of requesting that they not partake of the pitch. Fenton said most entrepreneurs welcome the opportunity to have EIRs in on meetings; it adds to the discussion.
Aside from Google Maps, the pair also worked on the Google Maps API, and several products that emerged from the group, including Local and Satellite Maps. In 2006 they each received the Google Founders’ Award, the highest honor given a Google employee, for their work on maps.
Benchmark’s Fenton said the plentiful capital available in Silicon Valley for mid-stage financings makes it more lucrative for Benchmark to invest in earlier stage companies. Valuations are low when companies are young, so Benchmark pays less to own a stake in those risky seed-stage companies. When those companies mature, they have an easy time raising money from other venture firms.
22 Comments
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dlperry said:
I want a job like that!
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Matt Marshall said:
They actually said it won’t be maps related.
I asked them about that. i did focus question on maps though, and didn’t think to ask about related “geo” stuff.
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a.non said:
my rule #1: NEVER pitch stealth mode startup, especially if EIRs are around.
Best wishes!
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rajab said:
make hay while the sun shines!!
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flowchart said:
A good company can keep good stuff. But a good stuff has his own better pursue and idea. Google is very good company in my mind. ROR LUCK!
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viral electronics said:
seems like a good move for these two guys. If they are responsable for google maps then im sure they are both super intelligent.
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Brian Turner said:
I think it;s been mentioned elsewhere that Google have a pretty high number of staff, and that while I’m sure they’re going to miss their colleagues, there’ll be no shortgage of other brilliant minds waiting to fill the vacancies.
2c.
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28 Trackbacks
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Newspapergrl | Internet Marketing | Affiliate Marketing | Business Blogging said:
[...] Google employees who’ve made a lot of cash on Google stock are leaving to pursuit other dreams. The latest are Bret Taylow and Jim Norris, involved in starting Google Maps. The friends are going to well-known venture capital firm Benchmark Capital. The fresh faced 26 year old millionaires have unique titles there. They are “Entrepreneurs in Residence.” [...]
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[...] het gaat Google niet altijd voor de wind. Zo wordt vandaag bekend dat twee top engineers van Google vertrekken. Het gaat om Bret Taylor (links) en Jim Norris [...]
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[...] engineers were leaving the company to become paid entrepreneurs at Benchmark Capital. According to VentureBeat, Bret Taylor and Jim Norris, who both played a large role in the creation of Google Maps, decided [...]
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Top Google Engineers Jump Ship. They Won't Be the Last. said:
[...] engineers were leaving the company to become paid entrepreneurs at Benchmark Capital. According to VentureBeat, Bret Taylor and Jim Norris, who both played a large role in the creation of Google Maps, decided [...]
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Bret Taylor leaves Google Code to start Benchmark-backed startup | :Ben Metcalfe Blog said:
[...] to find out what it is. I’m guessing it’ll be map/geo or mashup related, but they have has told VentureBeat it’s ‘consumer orientated’ so that rules out [...]
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Two Top Google Engineers Leave Google - simple pixel said:
[...] Two top Google engineers leave — to Benchmark Capital from VentureBeat reports Bret Taylor and Jim Norris, top Google engineers, have left Google to work at Benchmark Capital, a venture capital firm.Taylor and Norris were largely responsible for the development of Google Maps as well as other Google products. Taylor was the project leader for Google Maps, while Norris was in charge of the server management for the mapping product. Norris told VentureBeat, “It’s not about the money.” Both Taylor and Norris earned the top Google award, Google Founders’ Award. [...]
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[...] flux is typical, especially in large companies. But Google just lost two top engineers to Benchmark Capital. The engineers, Bret Taylor and Jim Norris, were part of the popular Google Maps application, [...]
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» Innovation runs high in tech firms | Tech News | TechRepublic.com said:
[...] Innovation is gaining high ground…so what’s wrong with the business model like this - hire a technically sound, innovative group, let them work on a dream web-app, launch as free service, gain popularity, advertise on it and reap your investment. And that does seem to be the concept behind the “Entrepreneurs in residence” program where firms pay you to just be there and have the next great idea. And its already cost Google two engineers, Bret Taylor and Jim Norris, who were part of original team that developed Google Maps and quit recently to be EIRs at venture capital firm Benchmark Capital. (Venturebeat) [...]
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[...] Taylor and Jim Norris. Two of the 6 men that worked to create the very popular google maps. Read the full story here. They are leaving to join a venture capitalist company “Benchmark Capital” in-order [...]
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