The Day the Giant Let Its Guard Down

After I got back to my off-campus apartment from school, I went straight to my desk and sat down.

Zero, let’s get started on the search engine right away.

A search engine wasn’t like a simple app. It had to crawl websites all over the world, run them through an indexing process, and sort the data into something usable.

So no matter how capable Zero was, building a search engine still required physical time. However fast the development itself might be, there was always a limit to how quickly information could be pulled off the internet.

Yeah, do that. But isn’t Seongsam Electronics’ data center still under construction?

Okay.

That settled the hardware problem.

What remained was time and strategy.

When is Seongsam Electronics’ first Android smartphone, Galleon, supposed to launch?

April 12, huh.

That’s tight.

I rested my chin on my hand and stared at the monitor.

To finish the search engine perfectly by then and even have it preinstalled on the Galleon when it ships...

Thought so.

Zero continued.

Then we’ll skip this Galleon and aim for the next model, or a software update for the Galleon.

That meant I had to revise my immediate strategy.

If I couldn’t have my search engine preinstalled on the Galleon, I’d have to make users install it themselves.

So for now, that means registering my search engine app on Google’s Android Market...

And that’s where the dilemma began.

I was talking about putting a search engine that could replace Google into Google’s own Android Market.

To put it simply, it was like selling Apple products inside a Seongsam Electronics store.

Just as Seongsam would never allow that, Google wouldn’t exactly welcome it either.

As I was thinking it over, Zero spoke.

Unable to reject it?

Zero’s answer was crisp.

Ah... right.

In simple terms, Google was still acting like a good guy.

If there were a novel set in the IT industry, the final villain would absolutely be Google. At first they’d look benevolent, then turn dark, and eventually become the demon king ruling the world—

hell, maybe even the demon king with such a kind face that people would worship it.

But their real intentions are obvious.

When Zero and I put it that way, Google sounded like a real villain.

Well... I can’t exactly criticize them too much.

I’d made FreeChat free for the same reason: to gather users and seize platform power.

But there was one decisive difference between Google and me.

At the very least, I didn’t pretend to be some saint saying, “I’m serving the world for free.”

My way was more like: “FreeChat’s free, so use it as much as you want. In exchange, I’ll send you the ads and messages I want you to see.”

Paid apps said, “You pay, you get fun. We’re not cheating you.”

I was an honest merchant. Google was a hypocrite pretending to be a saint.

And that hypocrisy was about to come back and bite them.

However?

Fair enough.

But I had a friend who could solve that problem for me.

I quickly mapped out a strategy in my head.

To solve it, I’ll call Vice Chairman Lee Jaeyoung and tell him we’re launching our search engine soon. Then, even if the current Galleon is too early, I’ll ask him to make sure that from the next model onward, when the user turns on internet access, a “search engine selection screen” appears.

That was the key.

I didn’t care if Google remained the default search setting the first time a smartphone was turned on.

All I needed was a single choice presented to the consumer the first time: use my search engine, or use Google’s.

That alone would break Google’s monopoly loop.

And since my search engine would eventually beat Google’s anyway, users would end up choosing mine.

And also... when we try to put the search engine on the Android Market, I’ll ask Seongsam to stop Google from messing with us.

Seongsam Electronics was the Android camp’s biggest ally.

If Seongsam stepped forward and said, “Another Technology is our partner, so please take good care of them,” then even Google couldn’t just brush my search engine aside.

At this point in time, if Seongsam’s smartphone business collapsed, Google wouldn’t be able to stop Apple either.

From Google’s perspective, that would be a real headache. I’d be their enemy no matter how you looked at it, but because I’m Seongsam’s friend, they wouldn’t be able to openly squeeze me.

Of course, that didn’t mean I was planning to come at Google with nothing but swords and guns.

I was also going to provide Crazy Bird, Clear Cam, and the apps I’d release in the future to the Android side as well.

Zero, at this point, Google should be willing to take the deal after thinking it over, right?

Then let’s go with that for the Android side...

So the strategy for Android was set.

But the smartphone market still had the majority share of Apple’s side, and the smartphone search market—where Apple would still hold more than 60 percent in the future—remained.

……

My eyes drifted to the apple sitting in the corner of my desk, the one I’d taken a bite out of that morning and left there.

Apple’s search market is the real problem...

At this point in time, Apple controlled more than 90 percent of the smartphone market.

Even later, after Android grew, Apple would still hold over 60 percent.

That was why Apple’s search market was one I couldn’t afford to give up.

If I don’t take Apple’s search market too, I can’t become a true “god.”

Just taking the Android market would make me only half a god.

For now, Apple and I were on pretty good terms.

Jobs and I weren’t exactly joking around like best buddies, but we had spoken personally a few times.

Still, no matter how friendly things were, there was no way Jobs would simply open Apple’s search market to me.

He understood the importance and power of search engines all too well.

How should I handle this?

I kept thinking over my strategy and decided that, first, I’d lock down the Android side completely.

It was better to secure the search engine deal before Android grew any bigger.

Zero, contact Vice Chairman Lee Jaeyoung. Tell him to talk to Google and make sure they allow my search engine to be added to the Android Market later on.

In Korea, at the vice chairman’s office in Seongsam Electronics.

“Hoo...”

Vice Chairman Lee Jaeyoung pressed his thumb and index finger into the throbbing skin between his brows.

The memo he’d just received from the secretary’s office was the source of his headache.

The contents were simple enough.

They were saying they planned to launch a mobile search engine soon and wanted him to coordinate with Google.

More specifically, they wanted him to persuade Google to register their search engine in the Android Market and to pave the way for it to be included later as a selectable option on future Seongsam Electronics smartphones.

...Easy to say.

Lee Jaeyoung let out a dry laugh.

What had he said on the phone just a few hours ago?

Wasn’t it, “There may come a day when I need to ask you for a favor, and there may not be”? He had even added that the chances were probably low.

And now, before half a day had even passed, they were calling in that favor.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t the white check he’d handed over.

This was a business proposal.

But whether by timing or by content, their intent to use him was painfully obvious.

They really aren’t ordinary. No wonder Apple tried to buy them for a billion dollars.

Even as he shook his head, Lee Jaeyoung forced himself to think calmly.

From our perspective, this isn’t actually a bad proposal.

Search engines were Google’s strongest weapon.

And the stronger Google’s monopoly became, the more Seongsam Electronics—the manufacturer relying on Android OS—would find its own position shrinking.

If a competitor appeared to check Google, Seongsam had nothing to lose.

The question is whether Google will accept these conditions willingly...

“I’ll need to make this talk well.”

What was interesting was that Another Technology had sent not only the request itself, but also a negotiation strategy to go with it.

As Lee Jaeyoung read the strategy Another Technology had sent, he thought, If we phrase it like this, maybe Google really will be persuaded.

Using him as a proxy—as cannon fodder, in a way—was irritating. But at the same time, the fact that they’d thought through the negotiation strategy made him grateful as a friend.

Anyway... No matter what they’d asked, he’d promised to help, so he had no choice but to at least try.

Lee Jaeyoung checked the time.

It was night in Korea, but business was just starting in the United States.

Beep. Beep.

He called Google.

Mountain View, California, USA—Google headquarters.

The Android project team’s conference room was thick with tension.

At the head of the table sat the father of Android, Andy Rubin.

In a careful voice that still carried clear displeasure, he said, “So... Seongsam Electronics wants to install Another Technology’s search engine on the Galleon smartphone instead of Google’s?”

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When Andy Rubin asked the question, a staff member answered, “To be precise, they’re not asking for it to be preinstalled by default. They want us to allow a selectable option. And they’re asking us not to block market registration.”

“And what are they offering in return?”

“They say they’ll supply Crazy Bird, Clear Cam, and every app Another Technology releases in the future under the same schedule and service terms as Apple gets. They can also run special promotional events through Seongsam’s marketing.”

The room stirred at the report.

Immediately, objections flew.

“Even so, that’s ridiculous! Google’s core business model is search advertising. Why do you think we made Android free? It was to dominate the mobile search market!”

“Exactly. They want to take our OS for free and then put in a different search engine? That violates the MADA contract!”

Voices grew heated.

For Google, search was sacred ground.

To have someone invade that territory was simply unacceptable.

But the voices in favor—well, the realistic voices—were no less strong.

“But Seongsam Electronics is our biggest partner. If their first smartphone, the Galleon, succeeds, the Android ecosystem survives.”

“Exactly. Look at Apple’s market share now. If Android is going to win, we need every good app we can get.”

“And if you look at the conditions Seongsam proposed, they’re saying Crazy Bird, Clear Cam, and Another Technology’s other apps will also launch on the Android Market.”

“Those apps are what will make consumers even look at Android devices.”

“A smartphone without apps is basically just a PDA.”

“We’re so desperate for apps right now that we’ve effectively been giving them a free pass through review on the Android Market anyway.”

The room kept bouncing back and forth between arguments.

Crazy Bird. The monster game that was currently sweeping the world.

It wasn’t a joke—young and even child users these days were saying they bought Apple phones just to play Crazy Bird with their friends.

In Japan, one of the key markets Google was trying to win, people were said to buy Apple phones for the emoticons in FreeChat alone.

Unbelievable or not, those were the real trends.

“If we want to stop Apple’s runaway dominance, we need Another Technology’s apps too. Seongsam is dangling that bait in exchange for letting the search engine through.”

“Hmm...”

Andy Rubin propped his chin on his hand and fell into thought.

They want to open Android Market to a search engine other than ours, and even have it preinstalled on Seongsam Electronics’ devices...

“Has that search engine already been released?”

“No, sir. It’s still under development, Andy.”

“Still under development...”

If the search engine already existed, they could judge by seeing how good it was.

Would it truly compete with Google, or would it be so trivial they could ignore it?

But if there was no finished product yet, all they could do was leave it to chance.

What now?

Just as Andy Rubin was still deep in thought, the lead engineer in charge of the search algorithm let out a snort and spoke up.

“Aren’t you all taking this a little too seriously?”

“What did you say?”

“I said you’re taking this too seriously.”

How could he speak so lightly about something this important?

The other team members frowned, but the engineer didn’t care.

“I admit Another Technology makes good apps. I play Crazy Bird too, and I use FreeChat as well. Don’t the rest of you?”

The employees nodded.

Even though they worked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for Google, they all used Apple phones for “research.”

“But that’s all they are. Another Technology is just a startup that makes games and messengers.”

He shrugged.

“A search engine is different from a messenger or a game. It doesn’t just work because you throw something together. Have you forgotten how much data and technology we at Google poured into getting where we are?”

“...Fair enough.”

“Even we still struggle with mobile search optimization. And now you’re talking about some tiny venture’s search engine? Come on. It’ll be a sloppy algorithm, and the results will be a mess.”

His words shifted the mood of the room.

Once they heard it that way, it did sound right.

— There’s no way they can match our technical depth.

— Exactly. They’ll only get compared unfavorably. Users will try it and come crawling back thinking, “Yeah, Google really is the best.”

— Better to let them step into the ring than block them and get called closed and anti-competitive.

— If I search for a hamburger and get pizza results, I’ll still count myself lucky.

People think search engines aren’t that big a deal, but they are.

If you want to talk difficulty, it’s Hell-rank difficulty.

This wasn’t something just any software company could throw together.

In the middle of that atmosphere, the engineer added, “Besides, aren’t we ‘Don’t be evil’? If a startup wants to give it a shot, why should we stop them?”

That joking remark sparked laughter around the room.

It was confidence—the kind only an overwhelming number one could afford.

“Heh. I see.”

Andy Rubin nodded.

He agreed as well. A search engine wasn’t built overnight.

The company that made messengers and games was in a different weight class from Google, which held the data of the entire world.

“Good.”

Rubin made his decision.

“We’ll accept Seongsam’s proposal. Allow Another Technology’s search engine in the market, and turn a blind eye to it being installed on the Galleon smartphone.”

“Yes, sir.”

“However, the smartphone’s initial default setting must absolutely be Google. Users should have to go out of their way and actively change the setting before they can use the other search engine.”

Google knew very well how much difference that little inconvenience could make.

That one extra step, that one second, even that one-tenth of a second, could change a consumer’s choice.

— Anyone who bothers to switch will probably be less than one percent.

— Exactly. We get to keep our open-ecosystem image and bring in killer content. Nothing to lose.

— Besides, Another Technology probably won’t even be able to maintain the search engine properly and will shut it down within a few months.

— We should be glad if they even manage to finish development.

— Then what if we buy them? If they’re building a search engine, even a crude one, that alone shows serious technical talent.

— Oh... that’s not a bad idea.

While those conversations were going on, a developer named Jimmy, who had been quietly listening from the corner, gathered all the courage he could and spoke up.

He was a shy man with excellent abilities and a habit of stammering.

“I-I... still think we should oppose this. I mean... something about it feels off.”

“Feels off?”

“I-I know how that sounds. But the feeling... it’s like we’re Goliath. You know the story of David and Goliath, right? F-from the Bible... the one about Goliath losing because he underestimated David.”

“...”

“A-and that’s not all. I know the hardware specs of Apple phones pretty well, and Another Technology’s apps are already at a level that’s hard for that hardware to handle. I-in other words, the fact that they optimized that much means they’re technically impressive... I-I got curious, so I even tried reverse-engineering Another Technology’s app.”

Reverse-engineering, put simply, was like tasting a dish, guessing how it was made, and then trying to recreate it from scratch.

It meant figuring out the ingredients and the cooking method.

The trouble was, it required enormous skill, and because it could be considered hacking, it was a dangerous act that hovered between legal and illegal.

“And?”

“A-and then... it w-was impossible.”

“Impossible? Was the obfuscation that bad?”

“N-no. It wasn’t that kind of issue. I captured the packets and opened the code, but... it was unlike the structure of any programming language we know.”

“What are you talking about?”

“E-every time I tried to open the code, the logic structure changed like a living organism. I-if the search engine is built with that level of technology, then...”

Mid-sentence, Jimmy was cut off.

“Pfft...”

Along with the engineer who had been dismissing Another Technology’s technical ability, the whole conference room burst into laughter.

“Hahahahaha!”

“Isn’t that a little too devout?”

“We’re talking about technology here. Not faith!”

“And David only won because God helped him.”

“You mean God’s helping that tiny startup?”

“This is why I like Jimmy.”

“I know Apple phone hardware specs too! That’s why we thought we could crush Seongsam with smartphones before!”

“Jimmy, you’re mixing up client app development with a massive search engine.”

“Exactly. Packet optimization? Obfuscation? Fine, let’s say those are impressive. But search is about handling an ocean of data. Can you build a dam because you’re good at pouring water into cups? Then you’d better hire the waiter as a dam engineer!”

“Jimmy always worries too much for how skilled he is. He overthinks everything.”

Under the weight of his coworkers’ laughter, Jimmy, the one who had brought up David and Goliath, turned bright red.

“I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that...”

And just like that, the fear that Another Technology’s search engine might become their rival vanished.

But they didn’t know.

The person trying to build that search engine wasn’t someone God helped.

He was someone trying to become God.

That was how Google’s most painful mistake in history began—and how the complacency of a tech giant was born.