The Future of Search Is Boutique: Lessons from Becoming a Manager

The Future of Search Is Boutique: Lessons from Becoming a Manager

In the ever-evolving world of technology, search engines have become an integral part of our daily lives. Google, with its massive horizontal search engine, has dominated the market for years. However, audacious teams like DuckDuckGo and Neeva are trying to compete head-on with Google by building their own massive search engines. While this may seem like a bold move, it may not be the most effective approach for the future of search.

One of the reasons why competing with Google directly may not be the best strategy is that the vast majority of people are not willing to pay for a search engine that they are used to getting for free. For most people, the opportunity in search lies in the ability to "control their own data." However, this is not a selling point for the average user.

Instead of trying to build massive horizontal search engines, the future of search lies in boutique search engines. These search engines focus on indexing, curating, and organizing information in new and unique ways. The key advantage of boutique search engines is their ability to cater to specific verticals or categories.

For example, on Behance, a popular online creative community, the filters prominently feature school and location. This implies that where you went to school and where you live are important indicators of the quality of your design portfolio. However, if Behance were designed today, these filters may not be as relevant or important.

Similarly, Yelp, a popular review platform, showcases sponsored results for electricians in Miami. While vertical search aggregators like Yelp work well when you know exactly what you want, they may not be the most effective solution for all search queries.

The key to building successful boutique search engines lies in the intersection of search and curation. Curated content feeds, often found in feed-like architectures, are primarily focused on entertainment rather than utility. The opportunity lies in moving these curated content feeds towards more goal-oriented interfaces.

Finding the right mix of curation, search, algorithms, and business models is the key to success. However, this is a difficult task that requires careful consideration and experimentation. The goal is to create a search engine that provides relevant and curated information while also maintaining trust with its users.

In the realm of management, there are also valuable lessons to be learned. When transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager, the responsibilities shift from focusing solely on the product to focusing on the people. This can be a challenging transition, but it is important to give your team the freedom they need to succeed.

Another challenge faced by new managers is the change in the feedback loop. As an individual contributor, feedback is often received on a daily basis. However, as a manager, the feedback loop extends to months, making it difficult to measure one's own value. In this case, it is important to find one thing at work that is done for oneself, not just for the team. Celebrating every win, no matter how small, can help combat the loneliness that often comes with managing people.

Building a culture that results in the best products takes time and patience. As a manager, it can be isolating to see changes in relationships with colleagues who were once peers. Finding peers in similar positions and celebrating wins together can help combat this isolation.

In conclusion, the future of search lies in boutique search engines that cater to specific verticals or categories. These search engines provide curated and relevant information to users. Similarly, the role of a manager requires a shift in focus from the product to the people. Building a culture that results in the best products takes time and effort. Celebrating wins and finding peers can help combat the loneliness that often comes with managing people.

Three actionable advice for building successful boutique search engines:

1. Identify specific verticals or categories that are underserved by existing search engines and focus on providing curated and relevant information for those niches.
2. Experiment with different curation methods and algorithms to find the right mix of human curation and automated search.
3. Develop a business model that fosters trust with users by prioritizing relevant and curated information over ad-driven content.

Three actionable advice for new managers:

1. Give your team the freedom they need to succeed, even if it makes you uncomfortable.
2. Find one thing at work that you do for yourself, not just for your team, to maintain a sense of personal value.
3. Seek out peers in similar positions and celebrate wins together to combat the loneliness that often comes with managing people.