Even though I’m Jewish, I’ve always rather enjoyed other people’s confessions: Saint Augustine, Rousseau, driving instructors etc etc. And now, especially for the tech crowd, we have an new player in the confessional genre – Douglas Edwards, the first marketing manager at Google, who has just written a tell all version of his 1999-2005 stint at the plex entitled I’m Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee #59.
Yesterday, Edwards came into the TechcrunchTV studio to record a confessional with me about the six years he spent in Mountain View. But you don’t have to be a Google aficionado to enjoy Edwards’ confessions. First there’s his job interview with Sergey Brin when Sergey showed up on skates in shorts and a t-shirt, then there’s his thoughts on Larry Page and Sergey’s special chemistry and his confessions about why he was so disappointed with Eric Schmidt.
This is the first part of a two part interview with Edwards. Check back tomorrow for more confessions from Google Employee #59.
I’m Feeling Lucky
Confessions of a Google Brand Manager
Falling out of love with Eric Schmidt
From 1999 to 2005, Doug Edwards was was director of consumer marketing and brand management for Google. Other work experience includes stints as online brand group manager for the San Jose Mercury News, communications director for KQED FM, admission officer for Brown University and Novosibirsk correspondent for the public radio program Marketplace. He blogs at http://xooglers.com, a gathering spot for ex-Googlers to reminisce and comment on the latest developments in search.
Google provides search and advertising services, which together aim to organize and monetize the world’s information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers a plethora of online tools and platforms including: Gmail, Maps, YouTube, and Google+, the company’s extension into the social space. Most of its Web-based products are free, funded by Google’s highly integrated online advertising platforms AdWords and AdSense. Google promotes the idea that advertising should be highly targeted and relevant to users thus providing...
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