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David Lieb

12/19/24

@ Y Combinator

On our first day at Google, we found out that all our plans were changed, and we were assigned to work on Google+ instead of Google Photos, which created a lot of conflict for me.

Video

How David Lieb Turned a Failing Startup Into Google Photos | Backstory

@ Y Combinator

How David Lieb Turned a Failing Startup Into Google Photos | Backstory

12/19/24

Related Takeaways

David Lieb

12/19/24

@ Y Combinator

I believed strongly that Google Photos would be a billion-user product, so I continued to work on it despite being told not to, which led to conflicts with my bosses.

David Lieb

12/19/24

@ Y Combinator

Eventually, I gathered support from engineers who wanted to build Google Photos instead of the assigned social network, despite our bosses' explicit instructions not to pursue it.

David Lieb

12/19/24

@ Y Combinator

After selling our company to Google, we planned to rebuild our photo roll idea with Google technology to create Google Photos, and I was optimistic about its success.

David Lieb

12/19/24

@ Y Combinator

After being told to leave the team twice, I leveraged my connections in the industry to gain support for building Google Photos, and ultimately, we got the green light to proceed.

Matt Cutts

12/04/19

@ Y Combinator

When I started at Google, projects were assigned informally, often based on conversations during social events, like skiing trips.

David Lieb

12/19/24

@ Y Combinator

During a successful period at Google Photos, I was diagnosed with leukemia, which changed my perspective on life and work.

Paul Buchheit

08/10/24

@ Y Combinator

When I joined Google in 1999, it was a small startup with an electric atmosphere, and I was excited to work on big projects.

David Lieb

12/19/24

@ Y Combinator

I didn't want my previous work on Bump to be a failure, so I fought to pursue the opportunity with Google Photos, refusing to take no for an answer.

David Lieb

12/19/24

@ Y Combinator

After my treatment, I realized that my job at Google had evolved away from building products for users, and I wanted to work with people who were innovating the future.