Life is awesome at Google: Rajan Anandan

At Google India, Rajan Anandan is on a roller-coaster high that does not have any dips. But in his firm, the don'ts are more clearly defined than the dos. For the India head, silo worship, long drawn-out meetings and hierarchy are strictly off-limits at Google. And as for the dos, the Googlers have to just think 100-fold bigger and the rest will just fall in line. 

How has your journey at Google been?

Overall, the two-and-a-half years at Google have been fantastic. The company values speed and entrepreneurship. There have been so many highs,getting India business online and women on the web entrepreneurship. I got the opportunity to work with some incredibly smart people and have enjoyed this journey. Our business is more intense than others and I see myself with Google for a long time. 

What has been your greatest achievement at Google?

It has beenteam achievement and not mine alone. Accelerating adoption of internet, mobile users, especially with smartphones becoming affordable, adoption of online video. And the market impact has been tremendous. Today, internet user base in India is 100 million and there are 90 million mobile internet users with a 150% year-on-year growth potential. 

What is the Google way of doing things?

Building teams and hiring the best. In Google, teams do not need to be told as micro-management is a disaster in this office. So we question every assumption of doing business as we have a saying that lets us take it up by 10x, and not just 10%. 

Is there any company (not Google) whose model of working you want to adopt?

Not just one company, as every company has a distinctive way of working. I have brought with me some aspects of Dell and MckinseyI have worked before and others have done the same. There is no one company whose model we want to adopt. 

Is there anything in Google that you would want to improve?

At Google, we are extremely self-critical and always looking at how to do things better. So, instead of 10x, I would want one to think in terms of 100x, make it bigger. 

What not to do at Google?

Thinking small, incremental, being hierarchical and uncollaborative. Also, being in meetingsthe time and not working. Meetings are a death of speed and as a leader if you do not get things done, the team will stop respecting you. 

Your roadmap for Google?

The internet will continue to grow and cross 200 million at the end of this year. Mobile internet is growing and Android has enabled India to have internet on their phones for Rs 6,000-7,000. Online video is a big strategy and even small and medium business empowerment is important. We have a great team and a year now my priorities should remain similar, or something has really gone wrong. 

If not Google, then what would you have been doing?

I am here for a long time. As of now, life is awesome.