By Garrison Fairfield

Mission statements are great things that allow for companies to have a focused direction to set intermediary goals.  However it is always good to check up on them from time to time and see if you’ve strayed.  For this morning’s Editechial I wanted to review Google’s famed, “Ten Things We Know” mantra.  We will take them one by one and objectively analyze how close they are staying to their original vision.

1. Focus on the user and all else will follow.

I believe that Google is actually following this rule closely, each of their applications seems to be built upon user friendliness along with interoperability with competing systems.  For example, at my previous company, we use Google’s mail system, however we easily had it forwarded to Microsoft Outlook.  Google did not make a dime from us, however they powered the service.  Also, Google could go sell tens of millions of dollars of pre roll commercials for Youtube streams, however, after analyzing the user preference to a non-intrusive in-stream ad unit, Google decided to sell the much lower priced Overlay ad.  This once again illustrated their “user” focused mentality.  In contrast to this illustration, Yahoo! Video is one of the worst user experiences on the Internet with a 15-30 second pre roll commercial running before seemingly every video clip.  Grade: A

2. It’s best to do one thing really, really well.

I believe that Google has strayed from this concept in recent years.  In fact, Google seems to do one thing, really well, and everyone knows that one thing is search.  However, very few of their other products lead their respective industries and many of the services are nowhere near profitability.  Recent product launches such as Google Trends and Google Ad Planner seem to be gaining the type of adoption and traction to become #1 on their fields eventually, however only time will tell if they maintain their growth rates.  So it seems like Google may have to change this point to: Do many things, and do one thing really, really well.  Grade: B+

3. Fast is better than slow.

Thankfully Google has made this a priority since the beginning and I believe this concept is one of the things that has given them differentiation over Yahoo’s search platform.  When Google entered into the search business, Internet users were still on slow dial up modems and Yahoo’s information loaded homepage took a while to download, on the other hand, Google loaded almost instantly and gave fast and relevant search results.  So Google is staying true to the vision.  Grade: A+

4. Democracy on the web works.

I think this is a tricky issue, the correct phraseology should be, “Capitalism on the web works”.  Because it is capitalism which leads to the buying of Google Adwords, which leads to Google maintaining the place of dominance in the marketplace.  Democracy on the web would work as a slogan for Wikipedia.  Grade: C

5. You don’t need to be at your desk to need an answer.

It’s funny, because this phrase is actually much more true today then it was when Google wrote these rules.  Google is making great strides to allow you to access all type of information and media no matter where you are.  With the looming launch of Android and their applications for Blackberries and other wireless devices, Google is definitely living up to this goal.  Another quiet project Google has is the Google411 service, where you can call and get Free operator assistance from your phone.  Grade: A

6. You can make money without doing evil.

I’m not sure if it is possible for a $173 billion dollar company to “do no evil”.  There have been numerous accounts of Google ripping off 3rd party technology and calling it theirs, and to be honest, I don’t think it would be possible for Google to reach its current market dominance without being a little “evil”.  However, compared to most companies they probably hold a higher standard than average.  Grade: B

7. There’s always more information out there.

This is a very true phrase and it appears that more information is popping up on a daily basis.  From articles, to multimedia, to etc.  And Google’s mission to categorize and enabling users to search through the Internet is still what they do best.  And Google’s acquisition of sites like Youtube show that it views every type of online object as equally important. Grade: A

8. The need for information crosses all borders.

Google has become a household name in almost any country you visit, it may be viewed as an evil superpower in countries like China, where Baidu.com owns search, however it clearly is following this rule in every way possible.  Now if they could just get Youtube to be accepted in every country.  Grade: A-

9. You can be serious without a suit.

Google wasn’t the first silicon valley company to have this approach, but they definitely were one of the first companies to make dressing down on Wall St fashionable.  Grade: A+

10. Great just isn’t good enough.

This is one one my favorite Google rules, because it epitomizes the culture.  Nothing is every good enough, no product or service is ever complete, and no one can ever rest on their laurels.  If Google can continue to maintain this mindset they will be around for a very long time.  Grade: A+