When Susan Wojcicki Turned a Search Startup into a Business: The Dilemma That Saves You and Your Families

Wojcicki found herself hanging out with the young founders and became fascinated by the rise of the search startup. She soon joined it herself, about the time the 15-person company moved out of her house and into an actual office, over a bicycle shop in Palo Alto. In 2002, she took over the Google advertising arm, leading to a billion dollar business that transformed the industry. She became CEO of the company’s video product in the summer of 2014, running one of the world’s biggest media properties and navigating it through competition with other social networks. Though she was one of the most powerful women in all of business, she played it low-key, even to her departure in February 2023, “to start a new chapter focused on my family, health, and personal projects I’m passionate about,” as she wrote in the company blog.

“People feel like the structure of the world is inevitable, but it is built by people and what yall built under Susan’s quiet leadership in a ridiculously complex environment is extremely special and head and shoulders above what others created. I’m so sad to have lost her,” Hank Green wrote on X.

An Inside View of Google, Susan Wojcicki, Founder, CEO and Silicon Valley Contribution to the Non-Commutative Learning Environment

The son of a physicist, the daughter of a scientist was born in Santa Clara, Calif. There, she developed a passion for innovation and making a difference in the world. (Her two younger sisters, Anne and Janet, also went on to become powerhouses in their own respective fields.)

In a company known for its crazy ambitions and splashy profiles, he ducked the biggest spotlights while taking on gargantuan responsibilities. Even before Eric Schmidt became Google’s CEO and became known as the adult in the room, Wojcicki was a calm, analytical presence whose wise counsel and steady work ethic qualified her for the company’s most critical roles, even as Google, later named Alphabet, grew to one of the world’s most powerful companies. Her education, including an undergrad degree from Harvard and an masters in management from UCLA, made her a relative veteran compared to the peach-fuzzers in charge. She was also literally a member of the family, after cofounder Brin married her sister Ann (they divorced in 2015).

“I took on each challenge that came my way because it had a mission that benefited so many people’s lives around the world: finding information, telling stories and supporting creators, artists, and small businesses. I’m so proud of everything we’ve achieved. It’s been exhilarating, meaningful, and all-consuming,” she said in a blog post.

I’ll never forget her kindness she gave to me 20 years ago. She took me out for an ice cream and a walk while I was on her campus for my interview. I was sold – on Google and Susan,” he said in a statement.

The graduation speech that she gave at John Hopkins University in 2014) was well-known. There, she reflected on her career and the nature of opportunities.

“Because there are opportunities”: Memories of Neal Mohan, the head of YouTube, and Mark Benioff, CEO of Salesforce

Rarely are opportunities presented in the optimal way, in a nice little box with a yellow bow on top. “Opportunities, the good ones, they’re messy and confusing and hard to recognize. They’re risky. They challenge you.

On Saturday, the head of YouTube, Neal Mohan, who assumed the role after Wojcicki, wrote on X that YouTube lost “a teammate, mentor, and friend. … I am eternally grateful for her guidance and friendship. I will miss her a lot. My heart is with her family and loved ones.

Marc Benioff, CEO and co-founder of Salesforce, described Wojcicki — who was on Salesforce’s board — as a trailblazer and an example of great leadership. “She had a remarkable ability to lead with grace and vision, lighting up every interaction with her wisdom and warmth. Her kind heart, wise counsel, and philanthropic spirit touched countless lives,” he said on X.

John Green explained that she was the single largest donor to the project. She never once asked for credit or attention for her gifts–just privately supported our project and many others. An exceptional leader and person.”

Google: The ghosts of the old house where Larry Page and Sergey Brin first operated a computer system, in 2008, to search for new physics

The house was empty for a few years but the ghosts were still there when I visited in 2008. This was where Larry Page and Sergey Brin started Google a decade previous. Here was the garage once packed with newly delivered servers and routers; there were the carpeted rooms at the back of the house where Page, Brin, and their first employee, Craig Silverstein, churned out code; out the window was the backyard with the hot tub.