Comment by jwilliams
17 years ago
It's easy to switch search engines, but it's hard to build one.
Since Google launched, the Internet has grown considerably. Not only in content, but the types of content that get indexed.
I think Google hit that sweet-spot when they launched -- the Internet was big enough that a good index was really, really needed, but it wasn't too big for them to get into the game.
So yeah. It's possible, but a generalist search engine would be difficult in my view -- Of course, there are loads of opportunities for specialist search engines. But I think these are less of a threat to Google (and you're right, Google would probably just buy them up).
I agree. It's not low-hanging fruit, and I wouldn't recommend a start-up going against them. Google being intimidatingly good deters potential competitors is a competitive advantage (worth remembering for one's own startup...) - but it's also rational for them to be intimidated.
But research, pre-startup, might reveal better search.
However, thinking in terms of Innovator's Dilemma, most search technologies would be "sustaining" technologies, which Google as a well-managed leader could buy, copy, re-discover or invent around and keep their lead. It's so-called "disruptive" technologies that would cause them problems (which aren't dangerous because they're better, but because they're different in their benefits) - but these are a problem for any company. So Google's position is no more tenuous than any other company's.