socialmedian: Blekko and The Google Killer Jinx

User-submitted headlines for this story

Clip

Blekko and The Google Killer Jinx

Submitted by Louisgray from Google Reader

Nov 04, 2009

Summary

The worst thing that any startup can do is say that they are a Google killer. It is natural for Rich Skrenta the founder of Blekko – a search engine – messaging the opposite.

Rich writes:

“…there is no such thing as a Google killer. No company is going to play David to their Goliath and slay them with a well-aimed stone from a slingshot. Google is here to stay.”

Why do I bring this up? I am one of the founders of a search start-up. One that recently raised money from a couple of great venture capital firms. So whenever anything is printed about us, or even comes up in causal conversation, the term “Google killer” gets bandied about. Again, I think you’re as likely to see a Google-killer as you are to find Sasquatch or the Loch Ness monster.

So why join a search start-up then? Because I don’t believe to be successful in this business you need to be a Google-killer. In fact, trying to be a Google-killer is probably the one sure way not to succeed.

If you were to start a soft-drink company, would you be a Coke killer? Would you create a product that tasted exactly

...Read the full article

Comments (0)

Add Your Comment