Masters of Scale Rapid Response: How to scale tech responsibly, with former Google ad chief and Neeva founder Sridhar Ramaswamy
Sep 30, 2021
Sridhar Ramaswamy, the former head of Google's ad business and founder of the ad-free search engine Neeva, critiques big tech's scaling practices. He shares insights on transitioning from an ad-driven model to prioritizing user experience through subscriptions. Ramaswamy emphasizes the urgent need for responsible tech scaling, reflecting on the ethical pitfalls of major platforms like Google and Amazon. He also offers strategies for startups to carve out their niche in a monopolistic environment, advocating for an approach that values societal responsibilities over mere profit.
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Google's Manifest Destiny
- Sridhar Ramaswamy realized Google's ambition for "manifest destiny over all information", finding it terrifying.
- This led him to create Neeva, an ad-free, private, subscription-based search engine.
Neeva's User-Centric Features
- Neeva prioritizes user control, allowing customization like prioritizing paid subscriptions and filtering retailers.
- It offers facets for medical queries, filtering by source type like government or ad-supported websites.
Neeva's Business Model
- Neeva aims to be a successful company, demonstrating a better product is possible with a different model.
- A small market share (e.g., 1%) can create a successful subscription business with high user retention.