The Founders of Google

    By Storybird

    The Founders of Google cover image

    04 Dec, 2023

    a group of children sitting at a table with laptops in front of them and a man standing behind them

    In the late 1990s, two young PhD students at Stanford University, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, embarked on a journey that would change the face of technology forever. Their quest started with a simple yet complex question: "How can we improve the way people find information on the internet?"

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    The duo started by analyzing the structure of the web, creating an algorithm that could rank pages based on their relevance. It was a groundbreaking concept that would lay the foundation for Google.

    a boy sitting at a desk with a laptop and a notebook in front of him and a computer on the desk

    The project, initially called "BackRub", required vast computing power. Larry and Sergey, resourceful as they were, created a makeshift data center in their dorm rooms, using borrowed and scavenged parts.

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    Their passion for the project attracted attention within Stanford and beyond. Soon, investors started showing interest in their groundbreaking technology.

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    In August 1998, they received a check for $100,000 from Sun Microsystems co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim. However, there was one problem - the check was written to “Google Inc.,” a company that didn't yet exist.

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    Larry and Sergey had no choice but to quickly incorporate and open a bank account under the name Google Inc. This marked the official birth of Google.

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    Google's initial headquarters was in a rented garage in Menlo Park, California. From there, they began their journey to refine and perfect the search engine.

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    Google's success was immediate and explosive. By the end of 1998, Google was already answering 10,000 search queries a day. The world was starting to take notice.

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    Larry and Sergey had a unique management style. They encouraged creativity and innovation, fostering a culture that allowed Google to continually push the boundaries of technology.

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    Their focus was not just on improving search algorithms, but also on creating an environment where talented people could thrive and innovate.

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    By 2004, Google had grown exponentially and went public. However, the founders maintained their unique culture, implementing the "20% time" policy, where employees could spend 20% of their time working on personal projects.

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    This policy led to the creation of successful products like Gmail, Google News, and AdSense. Larry and Sergey's focus on innovation was paying off.

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    Google's growth did not stop at search engines and email. In 2005, they acquired a small startup called Android Inc., which would later become the world's most popular mobile operating system.

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    In the following years, Google expanded into various sectors, from online advertising to cloud computing, making it one of the most powerful tech companies in the world.

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    Despite their success, Larry and Sergey always stayed true to their original mission: "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful."

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    They achieved this by continually innovating and pushing the boundaries of what was possible, proving to the world that a simple idea could transform the way we live.

    a group of young men sitting at a table with laptops and papers in front of them, with a teacher in the background

    The story of Larry Page and Sergey Brin is not just about the creation of a successful tech company. It's about two friends who shared a vision and weren't afraid to chase it.

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    Their journey from a garage to a global tech empire is a testament to their perseverance, intelligence, and above all, their belief in the power of a good idea.

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    Today, Google stands as a beacon of innovation and creativity, a testament to the vision of its founders. Larry Page and Sergey Brin's journey is a reminder that with passion and hard work, anything is possible.

    a group of children sitting at a table with books and papers in front of them, with a woman standing behind them

    Their story continues to inspire millions around the world, proving that sometimes, all it takes to change the world is a question, a dream, and the courage to pursue it.

    The Founders of Google

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