Big Technology Podcast Why Ex-Google Ads Boss Sridhar Ramaswamy is Building An Ads-Free Search Engine
May 6, 2021
Sridhar Ramaswamy, former head of ads and commerce at Google, now leads Neeva, an ads-free search engine focused on user privacy. He discusses his disillusionment with traditional advertising and how Neeva aims to disrupt the industry. Ramaswamy highlights the benefits of decoupling search from ads, particularly in delivering more transparent, personalized experiences. He reflects on the challenges of innovating within a corporate structure and the competitive landscape shaped by current anti-trust movements against giants like Google.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Digital Advertising Growth
- Digital advertising is experiencing rapid growth, partly due to increased online activity.
- This growth, however, will likely slow as digital advertising approaches market saturation.
Subscription Model Disruption
- No company has held 90+% market share in a $100B+ market without facing consequences.
- Subscription models have historically disrupted dominant ad-supported businesses.
User Concerns about Ads
- Many people find online ads intrusive and undesirable, especially for personal searches.
- Search engines prioritize high-engagement sites, even for sensitive topics, to maximize ad revenue.
