We just fielded a call from BBC News, wanting to interview us for a radio program about how Google is now competing with Microsoft for world power. The coin has dropped. Google has become a very big company, and looking at it as a cute, geekish upstart is no longer possible. That’s why you have the NYT story today about Google becoming the “villain.” John Battelle has some notable comments, and does a good job at pulling out the more interesting quotes from the Times piece. Reid Hoffman is CEO of Mountain View start-up LinkedIn:
Google, Mr. Hoffman said, has caused “across the board a 25 to 50 percent salary inflation for engineers in Silicon Valley” – or at least those in a position to weigh competing offers. A sought-after computer programmer can now expect to make more than $150,000 a year.
and:
“When I meet with venture capitalists, or if I’m engaged in a conversation about going into partnership with someone, inevitably the question is, ‘Why couldn’t Google do what you’re doing?’ ” said Craig Donato, the founder and chief executive of Oodle, a site for searching online classified listings more quickly.
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