Sergey Brin, along with Larry Page, co-founded Google, one of the most influential tech companies in the world. Here’s a blog-style breakdown of how Sergey Brin and Larry Page started Google:
How did Sergey Brin start Google
The Humble Beginnings of Google: The Sergey Brin & Larry Page Story
Once upon a time in the digital universe, two young minds had an idea that would transform the way we access information.
1. Meeting at Stanford
The journey began at Stanford University in 1995, where Sergey Brin, a second-year grad student, was assigned to show a potential recruit, Larry Page, around the campus. Little did they know that this meeting would lead to the birth of an internet giant.
2. The Research Project
Their partnership truly started when they collaborated on a research project. Larry Page’s fascination was with the World Wide Web’s vast, expanding link structure. Brin joined him, and together they started developing an algorithm that would rank web pages based on their importance.
3. Backrub – The Ancestor of Google
Their initial project was named ‘Backrub,’ aptly named for its focus on backlinks, or the links from one site leading to another. The premise was simple: a page had higher value if more sites linked to it, especially if those linking sites were important.
4. A Dorm Room Server Farm
The ‘Backrub’ search engine was initially run on Stanford servers. However, the program quickly expanded and started using too much of Stanford’s bandwidth. The duo then had to move their growing collection of servers to their dorm rooms.
5. The Birth of “Google”
Eventually, ‘Backrub’ needed a new name. Drawing inspiration from the mathematical term ‘googol’ (a 1 followed by 100 zeros), they coined their search engine “Google”. The name represented their mission to organize the vast amount of information available on the web.
6. Moving Out and Growth
In 1998, they finally decided to convert their project into a business. They set up their first workspace in Susan Wojcicki’s garage (who later became the CEO of YouTube). With an investment from Andy Bechtolsheim, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, they officially founded Google, Inc.
7. The Expansion
With a clear and ambitious mission to “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”, Google rapidly expanded its reach. The search engine soon became synonymous with online search, turning the company name into a verb we use daily.
Sergey Brin and Larry Page’s journey is a testament to the power of innovation, partnership, and vision. From an academic project to an internet phenomenon, the story of Google’s inception serves as inspiration for dreamers and entrepreneurs worldwide.
