Once upon a time, the Internet was in its infancy, and searching for information online was like finding a needle in a haystack. It was during this time that a visionary named Larry Page, along with his close friend Sergey Brin, began their journey of revolutionizing the digital world. Their creation, Google, transformed the way we access and consume information. But how did it all begin? Let’s embark on this fascinating journey.
How Did Larry Page Start Google?
1. The Backdrop: Stanford University
Larry Page and Sergey Brin met at Stanford University, where they were both pursuing their PhDs. Larry was especially interested in the idea of exploring the mathematical properties of the World Wide Web. He wanted to understand its link structure as a huge graph. This curiosity led to the development of the PageRank algorithm, named after him.
2. PageRank: The Heartbeat of Google
Instead of merely counting the number of times a term appeared on a page, as was the common practice of existing search engines, the PageRank algorithm considered the number and quality of links to a page. This was groundbreaking because it meant that search results would be ranked by relevance and importance.
3. From Dorm Room to Garage
With the new algorithm in place, Larry and Sergey started the search engine “BackRub” in 1996, which operated on Stanford servers for over a year. However, as the search queries grew, it utilized too much bandwidth. Realizing the potential of their creation, they decided to rename the search engine to “Google,” a play on the mathematical term “googol,” which means 1 followed by 100 zeros.
The duo set up their first office in Susan Wojcicki’s (currently YouTube’s CEO) garage in Menlo Park, California. With initial funding from angel investors, including Andy Bechtolsheim, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, the Google journey truly began.
4. Rise to Dominance
Larry and Sergey incorporated Google Inc. in September 1998. Their mission was simple yet profound: “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” With its clean interface, speed, and relevant results, Google quickly won users over.
5. Beyond Search
Though search remained Google’s core, Larry Page’s vision extended beyond it. Over the years, Google introduced numerous innovative products such as Google Maps, Gmail, and Google Docs. Google’s acquisition of Android and the development of the Chrome browser further expanded its influence.
6. A Legacy of Innovation
Under Larry Page’s leadership, Google embraced the spirit of innovation, leading to moonshot projects like self-driving cars (Waymo) and life sciences research (Verily). Google’s growth strategy also included several strategic acquisitions like YouTube and DoubleClick.
In Retrospect
From a university project to a global tech giant, Google’s journey under Larry Page’s leadership is a testament to what vision, innovation, and perseverance can achieve. Today, Google’s name is synonymous with search, and its impact on the digital landscape is unparalleled. As we ‘google’ our queries today, it’s remarkable to think it all began with a spark of curiosity at Stanford.
Larry Page’s story reminds us that with passion and a purposeful vision, anyone can change the world.