Top of the Great Era

Chapter 3026 Disadvantages of Confidentiality

As expected, the well-known artificial intelligence scientist Andrew Wu joined Sam Altman's team.

Leave Google and join Ziweixing International.

It is indeed appropriate to give a heads-up when such a top talent changes jobs, but the problem is that Andrew Wu was about to join Baidu. Ziweixing International did not poach talent from Google, but from Baidu.

Larry Page's questioning is somewhat unreasonable.

Zhou Buqi said angrily: "How many people has Musk poached from you? If you want to be rude, go to Musk! Even if I don't do anything, they will join Baidu. Think about what happened to you!"

Larry Page said angrily: "There are so many autonomous driving teams around the world, why are they all staring at Google to poach people!"

Zhou Buqi said with a smile: "It's just like the proverb in our country, 'The first bird to stick its head out gets shot.' You've done too well, how can you not be remembered by everyone? With the most advanced technology, you must be cautious, otherwise it will be easy for the team to fall apart."

"Any good ideas?"

Larry Page humbly asked him for advice.

Zhou Buqi said: "There are two ways. First, keep it secret. The most core technology must be kept secret and unknown to the outside world. Research and develop it secretly. If others don't know, of course they can't poach people."

“This isn’t Google.”

Larry Page was very opposed to such a strategy.

The reason why Google is Google and is the most desired place for technical talents all over the world today is because of Google's openness and some idealism.

Part of the important work results of scientists at Google can be open sourced and shared with the world.

If the scientific and technological achievements are related to Google's core competitiveness, they may not be open source, but the relevant basic papers can also be published in journals so that colleagues around the world can learn from them.

Google has always been against secrecy in this regard.

It's not just that Google has the vision and ambition, but also a great style that can lead the industry.

There is a more important reason, which is its attraction to top talents.

Those top technical experts are not short of money at all. They can join any company and get a salary of several million or tens of millions of dollars.

After the need for wealth is met, the next step is fame.

"Wealth that does not return to its hometown is like walking in brocade at night."

That’s the downside of secrecy.

It would be difficult for them to feel satisfied with their personal achievement if the major scientific achievements they have worked so hard to produce have to be kept secret and not known to the whole world.

So, Google's approach is completely different from many tech giants in the past.

Other technology companies, after developing some core technologies, would like to protect them with all their might, for fear that they would be discovered by the outside world. Google is different. No matter whether it is a big achievement or a small one, it likes to publicize it after it is made.

It can be said that Google's appeal is marketed through its own technological attributes.

  The effect is very good!

The first choice of the top scientists in the United States is to go to NASA to pursue their space dream. If they don't go to NASA, their second choice is to go to Google.

The confidentiality strategy Zhou Buqi mentioned is impossible and this is not Google's style.

In fact, Zhou Buqi has also been using the same tactics as Google in the past two years.

From Rokid-go, a Go game, to Rokid-music, an AI music app, all of these are technical demonstrations by Ziweixing. Demonstrating technology is superficial, but the main reason is technical marketing, relying on technology to enhance its own popularity, influence and brand value.

The effect is remarkable.

The negative effects are also prominent. Now teams and companies doing cloud computing and AI are targeting Ziweixing to poach people. Especially in cloud computing, Ziwei Cloud has suffered serious talent loss, so much so that the Ziwei Cloud team as a whole has increased their salaries. After the second quarter of this year, the overall salary has increased by 20%.

In the field of autonomous driving, Google is the best and has achieved real results. It is normal for everyone to poach people from Google. Zhou Buqi said, "The second way is to quickly produce results so that developers can see the results on the application side and feel the changes their research and development results have on the human world. Why can Musk poach so many people at once? Because he has a real car, Tesla. Once the results are produced, they can be applied to cars and change current driving habits. No matter how good Google's autonomous driving is, there is no application platform."

Larry Page nodded. "Yes, that's my idea. We are currently studying and planning to set up an independent car company."

"what?"

Zhou Buqi was a little surprised.

Larry Page said firmly: "We really have to go down this path. If we don't have our own car platform... As you said, this is a platform model. If we want to promote Google's self-driving system, we have to adopt a platform model, which is 'self-operated + third-party'."

Zhou Buqi asked: "Did Google do it itself?"

Larry Page said, "No, it will be split off and operated independently, just like a biopharmaceutical company. Such a project requires a huge amount of funds, so it is necessary to find more investors in the capital market. What? Are you interested?"

"Not yet."

Zhou Buqi's foresight did not cover such a wide range. I don't know whether Google really did it or it was just a smokescreen.

Larry Page said, "Anyway, please stop poaching my people. If you continue to do so, there will be no one left."

Zhou Buqi smiled and said, "No, I'm not as bad as Musk. This was an accident. Andrew Wu was going to join Baidu. After I heard about it, I went to meet him. I have never targeted Google. You should know that we have always been in partnership over the years."

Larry Page nodded and said, "Well, you sold me YouTube, Admob, and Twitter. But I'm not bad either. I also sold you Motorola."

"But..." Zhou Buqi looked at him deeply, "Why did I hear some bad news?"

"What's the bad news?"

“I heard that Google is interested in bidding for LinkedIn?”

"Oh!" Larry Page did not hide it, "That's right!"

Zhou Buqi frowned slightly. "What do you mean? I have been in contact with LinkedIn for more than half a year. I finally convinced the board of directors of LinkedIn to start the sale plan. I have already done all the preliminary work, and you come here to pick peaches?"

Larry Page was a little surprised. "No way? This person found me on LinkedIn."

Zhou Buqi snorted, "That's because some shareholders are greedy and want to bring Google in to raise the price. They want me to pay a higher price."

"LinkedIn is very helpful to Google's business." Larry Page didn't intend to give up just like that. He glanced at him and said, "Google's social business is now on the rise. If we can complete the acquisition of LinkedIn, it will allow Google to gain a larger share in the social field."

Zhou Buqi asked, "Isn't Google+ transforming into a business social network? Doesn't this conflict with LinkedIn? Or are you willing to accept failure and completely abandon Google+ and replace it with LinkedIn?"

Larry Page smiled but said nothing.

Zhou Buqi said meaningfully: "If I remember correctly, Google+ is the most important product you launched after you became the CEO of Google again, right? If you gave up Google+ and spent a huge price to acquire LinkedIn, it would be unknown whether it would be good or bad for Google. But one thing is certain, it would be a huge failure for you personally!"

“You think so highly of LinkedIn?”

"I can tell you the truth. This time, I am determined to acquire LinkedIn. Even if I really launch a bidding war, Google will definitely not be my opponent! You have Google+, and you will definitely not be willing to pay the same price as me for LinkedIn!"

"Um……"

Larry Page nodded.

This is actually the strategic positioning.

Google+ has already transformed into a business social network, so LinkedIn is not indispensable to Google. Facebook is similar. Facebook is also developing its own business social network products and competing with LinkedIn. For Facebook, LinkedIn is not of key strategic significance.

Ziweixing International is different.

  Taking over LinkedIn is an important strategic addition!

Google is dispensable; it is better to have it, but not having it is no big deal; but for Ziweixing International, it is a must; it will have more motivation to participate in the bidding and will have more fighting spirit to win it at all costs.

From this perspective, if bidding is really launched, neither Google nor Facebook will be able to compete with Ziweixing International.