Just reading this morning about Google’s jump in first quarter net income and revenue ($1.3BN and $5.2BN respectively)… reminded me of a good interview with Eric Schmidt on Bloomberg TV about a year ago. Its one of those interesting things to go back and hear someone talk about their strategy, which you know in retrospect worked!

The bit that resonated then was when he says Google’s main challenge is how to be big without being evil… in this open source, collaborative world it is so crucial that companies stay true to their values and I think Google are a good example of a company that have really “got this”. Having said that my brother calls them “the evil eye of Sauron”

At the end of the day you have to admit that Google is really an advertising company, with 99% of their revenues coming from AdSense and AdClick products.

Here’s the interview.

Had a good chat with Amy who is a writer, musician, singer and helping us with the copy on the Creative Federation site.  Its one of those things you don’t consider that much of a challenge…  until you have to do it.  Then you realise how rare and important it is as a skill.

She also had some great ideas for getting the site in front of the sort of theatrical, musical, filmy, TV, generally creative people who will be into it.  This was one of the ideas touted:  The up and coming Auckland Renaissance Choir called The Souls Of The Righteous are planning a performance in the mezzanine George Court on K Road… an apartment block full of aforementioned creativey types (I’ve got to think of an alternative to the C word!) so we could demo/flyer/promote the site there…  Thanks for that Amy + any more suggestions on marketing ideas let us know!

I had a good chat with my Mum about Creative Federation.  She is very modest and I won’t go on about her creative credentials etc, but one thing she mentioned is worth sharing.  She said, “OK templates and processes for making stuff happen.  Well that’s funny because I have just been putting together a set of templates for holidays that your father and I go on.  One for staying away one night, one for a week-long trip.  That way we can just pick up the template and it makes packing”.  “Mum”, I responded, “we are going to build you a holiday vertical”.  Of course then she said that she’d actually prefer it to be written on a bit of paper on the fridge…