At Google, being the first isn’t the goal—being most effective is. “We weren’t the first search engine. Or the first cloud company. But we moved fast and stayed focused,” says Darren Thayre, Director of Innovation & AI Partnerships at Google. It’s a simple statement that reflects a deeper truth: in today’s volatile market pace and clarity matter more than flashy launches or premature scale.
In a recent conversation with Pushkar Bidwai on the People Matters’ Humanscope podcast, Darren unpacks how Google embeds that clarity deep into its innovation culture.
Leading strategic innovation programs across Google’s global businesses, his philosophy is shaped by both hard-won lessons and years spent observing what makes transformation stick. He doesn’t romanticize innovation. In fact, he’s quick to demystify it.
“You don’t need a massive team or fancy titles to innovate,” he says. “Don’t just hire innovators—make everyone one.” At Google, that means everyone—from engineers to HR teams—is expected to solve problems creatively, spot inefficiencies, and experiment within their own function. This approach has helped democratize innovation internally, creating a culture where ideas aren’t top-down but ground-up and shared.
The structure to support this is both rigorous and lean. Google runs “90-day sprints” for internal innovation projects, giving teams a short, focused window to validate their ideas—be it proof of market demand, tech feasibility, or user fit. If teams succeed, they get another 90 days. If not, the project ends. “Artificial constraints can be fantastic for innovation,” says Darren, borrowing a principle that aligns closely with how startups work.
This method also helps counteract one of the biggest risks at large companies: complacency. “The more people we throw at a problem, the worse the return,” he warns. He notes that the most effective teams tend to be small—ideally five to ten people—and deeply diverse. Not for optics, but because “you can’t build products for a diverse world if your teams all think the same.”
And speed doesn’t mean sloppiness. In fact, Google obsessively tracks its innovation metrics—not just success stories but failures too. “If our failure rate goes down too much, we worry. It means we’re playing it safe.” At a time when many companies are settling down for safe bets, this mindset is rare and increasingly necessary.
The hard-hitting truth is that innovation can’t be outsourced, and it shouldn’t be buried deep inside a tech department. “Too often, I see CEOs launch big AI initiatives and then hand them off to teams far removed from core decision-making.” In contrast, Google keeps its biggest innovation projects close to leadership. CEOs and senior execs are often directly looped in via shared dashboards or even WhatsApp groups, so blockers can be cleared in real-time.
That proximity matters. Not just for execution, but for signalling that experimentation is a strategic opportunity and not just a side project. “Innovation won’t survive if it’s tucked away from where decisions are actually made,” Darren says.
In a world where transformation is often reduced to shiny software and buzzy acronyms, Google’s model offers something quietly radical: move fast, yes—but stay grounded, stay human, and stay honest about what it takes to actually change.
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