Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin Reveals Google Glass Failure and Admits Mistake Thinking He’d Be the Next Steve Jobs

Sergey Brin, Google’s and Alphabet co-founder during a recent pep talk at Stanford University revealed about what went wrong with Google Glass and how he mistakenly saw himself to be the next Steve Jobs. He reflected on his early years of entrepreneurial missteps that include his attempt to become the next Steve Jobs. While addressing students during the university’s centennial celebrations, Brin shared candid insights about his experiences along with emphasizing the importance of patience and preparation.

Mistaken Himself as Steve Jobs

Sergey Brin admitted while talking to students at Stanford University and revealed that he once mistakenly believed that ‘he was going to be the next Steve Jobs.’ He mentioned he was working on Google Glass at that time, and he thought rushing the product to market would be a positive step, however, he said, “I sort of, you know, jumped the gun and thought, ‘Oh, I’m the next Steve Jobs. I can make this thing. Ta da.”

He reflected on how the pressure and the missteps came with overconfidence while working on Google Glass.

Key Message

One of the key messages that Brin delivered in his speech was for aspiring entrepreneurs and he asked them to first fully ‘bake the idea’, rather than jumping on it immediately. He says, Make sure you know what the consequences are before putting your idea and launching it publicly.

He further explained that products need to be thoroughly tested for cost-effectiveness, usability, and consumer appeal. He gave the Google Glass example and noted that while technology was innovative, it still lacked practical viability and needed polishing at the time of its launch.

His main advice to students was to refrain from getting tempted by flashy marketing stunts and to focus on creating a product that truly meets user needs.

What Went Wrong With Google Glass

To recall, Google Glass was first launched in 2013 by Google’s X development unit. Nevertheless, despite its futuristic vision, the product failed and faced challenges in cost and consumer usability. In addition, it also had privacy concerns. After much struggle, Google discontinued the Google Glass in 2015, keeping in mind that the device didn’t achieve any commercial success.

Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

He explained to students at Stanford by giving the example of Google Glass and underscored the broader lesson that innovation requires patience and careful planning. Other than these two factors, it also needs realistic assessment of market readiness. Future Entrepreneurs need to understand the balance of practical execution, market research, and user-centric design before launching any new product to the market.

By learning from high-profile failures like Google Glass, future innovators can better navigate the complexities of product development and avoid premature launches.