Once or twice a week, some budding entrepreneur emails me that they have "X", and that "X" has all manner of virtues, and that Google really needs "X", and can I please, pretty please introduce them to the right team at Google to work with them on bringing "X" to the world. After hundreds of such highly emphatic emails during my past 4 years at Google, I can safely say that regardless of "X", the chances of such emails achieving the intended results are slim. It’s not that I don’t care about “X”; “X” might be quite important but, for crying out loud, puleez do your homework.
Read this recent inquiry. I’ve made only a few deletions and obfuscations to protect the innocent.
Hi Alan,So nice of you to choose me.
I’ve recently been looking for contacts within Google to talk about "X".
I came across your website and realized we’ve worked on projects together between blah. I can’t recall whether we’ve met, but your name was mentioned in a lot of my dealings with blah. I’m still in contact with blah, blah to name a few...Nice try, but we never met.
My main focus after all this time is still "X", and the next big challenge is "X". Earlier this year we brought an "X" solution to market we are having great success, albeit rather stealthily. The focus of the product is blah. It is the only "X" solution that uses blah. We are the only platform to blah allowing blah. I have many roles within the organization and I am looking towards "X" using several lenses. As the blah for blah and I need to integrate "X" into the current roadmap. As blah and blah I need to focus on third party or Google solutions to support "X".How nice that “X” is important to your roadmap, but what about our roadmap?
I know that Google has some "X" capabilities, but nothing has been officially disclosed. I would like to start at the top and arrange a meeting with you to discuss how we can work together… and maybe catch-up on some blah stories.Nice ego-stroking attempt.
If that sounds harsh, tell me what would you do? In this case I replied to clarify what exactly the sender was proposing with “X” but after a couple of such exchanges it was clear it was going nowhere fast.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of people who approach me have simply not done their homework and usually expect me to figure out for them what they bring to Google. Keep in mind that Google has over 26,000 employees and thousands of projects. Google is moving a mile a minute. Poorly researched external requests are distractions at the best of times.
Here are some tips for improving your chances.
Know the answers to the following. Does Google really need “X”? Why does Google need "X"? Or what part of Google or Google users needs “X”?
Don’t simply ask to be introduced to“Y”. “Y” may be one of the busiest people at Google and even an internal introduction will go nowhere fast.
Read Google blogs (there are hundreds of them). Find relevant names or product managers and engineers and study them.
Requests for “let’s have coffee” are generally not realistic. I love coffee but I’d quickly overdose if I accepted every offer. Requests for information are more realistic, than requests for meetings.
Last but not least, if Google really needs "X", there is a good chance that one of Google's teams is already working on something like “X”.
In short, be prepared!