This week Google (yes Google) announced that it will be shutting down its much hyped ‘Google Wave‘ service. For the non-technology buffs Google Wave was an advanced real time collaboration and communication tool that would change the way we work and interact. The idea was that you could create ‘waves’ that would be equivalent to real face to face conversations except virtually. You would be able add people into the conversation in real time and determine what they can and cannot see. The same can be done with adding files, pictures and other media into the wave (conversation). Even more impressive was that you could quite easily pick up an entire wave (conversations, media, etc) and send it all to others to review.
When I first saw a preview for this new tool, the technology was mind blowing (this is the geek talking) and I spent quite some time playing around with it. The problem, was that no one else I knew was doing so. Which meant that I quickly stopped using the service. This is what eventually led to its demise. The critical mass of users needed to sustain the service just did not exist.
What can we take away from this series of events. Firstly we must realize that even the most advanced and innovative products are useless without users to use it. Products/services must constantly be evaluated to understand how consumers are using it and how it can be improved. Secondly, timing the launch of a product is crucial. In the case of Google, the technology they introduced was too advanced at this point in time for the average lay person. Lastly, we must learn that everyone fails at times, even the best and biggest. Its how you react to the failure that counts. Google didn’t hide the failure, they acknowledged it and shutdown the service. Many of us will not realize that what we are doing is wrong and continue making the same mistakes.
Have you suffered from a failure in the past? What went wrong? How did you react to it? Share your stories below.
Cross listed here.
I think Wave had good technology, but it came too soon after Buzz, which did not vibe with consumers.
I think it’s a matter of time before technology akin to Wave will be introduced. It was a great tool but the market for it was just not there. Innovation doesn’t come without risks and though Google had to let Wave go, I don’t think they should stop tinkering with possibilities. The rest of the world will catch up, it’s a matter of when.
Wave was a brilliant concept, just not executed right, they were trying to do many things without perfecting any of them. They should have put a lot more stress on a few number of features and perfected those. I think they realised it a little too late.
Pertinent example – EtherPad, a simple note-pad-like ‘real-time’ collaboration web tool had perfected the ‘real-time’ part. Google bought out Etherpad some time last year to improve Wave after already having gone through a number of cycles to try do ‘real-time’ themselves. The time wasted in such cycles caused users to loose interest and thus not reach the critical mass you refer to.
I’m sure Google will take what they learned (and bought) as part of Wave into their other products. I vote they somehow add it to Gmail – which already has critical mass, and then some! Let’s hope someone from Google Wave reads this :).
Whats up Taha… technology brings us together after a long time!
@Ammar great to hear from you. Agree with you completely.
Google did something similar with Buzz (i.e incorporating into Gmail), but even that isn’t really taking off, which I wrote about here
http://tahajiwaji.blogspot.com/2010/02/whats-all-buzz-about.html
I think the space is overcrowded now with Fb and Twitter, its cut throat competition for user attention. Its really interesting to see Google stumble a little (I’ve always kept them in such high regard). Lets hope their 20% time brings about the next big thing.