Bill's retrospective with Vinod Khosla: Technology opportunities | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

The traditional focus on search by companies like Microsoft and Google has allowed Facebook to dominate in the mobile space, but there is an opportunity for innovation and creating a richer user experience across devices.

Key Insights

• 🔍 Traditional search on the web has been dominated by Facebook, while mobile search remains relatively unexplored as an opportunity for change.
• 📲 Facebook's focus on mobile is evident in their products, while others have not fully capitalized on this potential weakness in the market.
• 📈 The boundaries between different devices (phones, tablets, PCs, etc.) will likely fade away, creating a more seamless and natural user interface.
• 💻 Ignoring desktops, intelligent whiteboards, and tablets in favor of small screens may limit growth and miss out on potential opportunities.
• 💰 Commercial intent for search, particularly for industries like travel, gifts, and mortgages, is still primarily driven by large screens.
• 🤝 The challenge of organizing groups of people effectively across various communication platforms (email, Skype, Facebook, Twitter) still exists.
• ⚙️ The focus should be on developing software that helps users determine their next action, rather than presenting fragmented and time-ordered sets of information.
• 🔗 The future lies in rich interactions across devices, rather than solely relying on mobile technology for the next several years.

Transcript

it's surprising to me that Microsoft and Google have focused on search in a traditional way Facebook has dominated as it is has focused on the web in a traditional way nobody's really looked at the mobile opportunity as a way to change the rules in a five know if you have it it appears to me that search in mobile is different Facebook or social net... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How has Facebook been able to dominate in the mobile space compared to Microsoft and Google?

Facebook's success in the mobile space can be attributed to its focus on the web in a traditional way, while Microsoft and Google have primarily focused on search in a traditional manner. By recognizing the mobile opportunity and tailoring their products for mobile use, Facebook has been able to outperform its competitors in terms of mobile user experience.

Q: What are the main challenges in monetizing search on small screens?

Monetizing search on small screens, such as mobile devices, has proven difficult due to the infinite size of the market and intense competition. As these screens become more flexible and device boundaries disappear, there is a need to rethink the natural user interface and how it can enhance commercial intent. Currently, most commercial intent-based activities still primarily take place on larger screens, but the evolving technology may change this in the future.

Q: How can software help in organizing and managing communications across different platforms?

Currently, communications are fragmented across various platforms like email, Skype, Facebook, and Twitter, making it challenging to organize and manage them efficiently. The ideal scenario would involve software that offers a more natural and integrated way of organizing groups of people and consolidating different communication channels. This would eliminate the need for users to navigate between different platforms, streamlining their communication experience.

Q: Is mobile the main focus for innovation in the coming years?

The speaker believes that mobile is not the primary focus for innovation in the next eight years. Instead, the emphasis should be on creating richer interactions across multiple devices, where the boundaries between phones, tablets, PCs, and large screens disappear. By focusing on a more integrated and seamless user experience, companies can unlock new opportunities for innovation and growth.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Microsoft and Google's traditional approach to search has allowed Facebook to thrive in the mobile space.

• There is a need to focus on mobile as an opportunity for innovation and changing the rules.

• The future lies in creating a rich user experience across devices, where boundaries between phones, tablets, PCs, and large screens disappear.