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> Duplex represents a rare early look into an ongoing project from a company notorious for playing it close to the vest.

Wat. Google is notorious for announcing dozens of projects only to cancel/downplay them a year, a year and a half later.

Their I/O keynotes are usually replete with "awesome product, will be released some undefined time in the future" (many of those never materialise, or take on new forms).




2 ways to look at this, although I assume you know both these already.

1. Experimentation is key, and a willingness to accept mistakes and move on. If all a company does is play to its strength, you'd miss disruptive technologies. Some of these experiments work, some dont.

2. Pursuing an idea without a viable business opportunity is suicide. The idea might be "cool" and "well received" but if it cant sustain in the long-run, it doesn't serve anyone.


Right, this is basically inevitable if you're willing to try new things (and announce them significantly ahead of a public launch). You're never gonna be 100% accurate with guessing which potential products will turn out to be viable products.




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