Google’s Nikesh Arora afraid of two guys in a garage
Story byErnst-Jan Pfauth
Ernst-Jan Pfauth is the former Editor in Chief of Internet at NRC Handelsblad, as well as an acclaimed technology author and columnist. He a(show all)Ernst-Jan Pfauth is the former Editor in Chief of Internet at NRC Handelsblad, as well as an acclaimed technology author and columnist. He also served as The Next Web’s blog’s first blogger and Editor in Chief, back in 2008. AtDe Correspondent, Ernst-Jan serves as publisher, fostering the expansion of the platform.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.
Also tagged with
Related Articles
More TNW
About TNW
And he has one major fear…
The Google big shot confessed to Le Meur that he’s pretty afraid of the “two guys in a garage. “The next Google will come from a garage”, he assured the audience. “So people will have to step up and take the risk”. Arora regrets the fact that Europeans generally have a lower appetite for risk. Unlike Americans, we don’t see failure as an opportunity. “That’s the structural reason why the US has more start-up activity.”
Don’t target your own market
Another mistake we Europeans make is focusing on our own market – the one we know best. “There are 1.4 billion people connected to the web, that’s more than … million people from Austria. So why would you focus on the national market? That’s a fatal flaw. 1 percent of a billion is much larger than 1 percent of 1 million.” Instead, do it like Twitter and Skype and start creating something that a billion people find useful”.
Focus already!
And while you’re at it. Focus! Companies like Apple and Google were both created in times of economic downturn, because they focused. the climate does not dictate whether you’re successful or not. Redefine your product.” Arora said. “I want to congratulate all the entrepreneurs in the room”, he conclude. “These are the times, if you can survive for 12 to 18 months in Europe, you’ll come out with great business”.
