Google’s $100B AI lesson isn’t about technology.
It’s about decision-making.
Back in 2017, Google researchers introduced transformers, the architecture that powers ChatGPT and most modern AI systems today.
In other words, Google invented the wheel.
But at the time, Google didn’t push hard to build and ship AI chatbots. Not because the tech wasn’t ready, but because of risk.
There was concern that chatbots might say the wrong thing.
That they could look unreliable. That they might hurt the brand.
So Google waited.
But OpenAI didn’t.
They shipped early, learned in public, and improved fast.
That willingness to move, even with imperfect systems, changed everything.
Today, OpenAI is valued at around $157 billion, and Google is racing to catch up using technology it originally created.
This pattern is repeating across the AI landscape right now.
Companies are raising billions to build infrastructure, while open-source models are rapidly closing the gap.
The winners aren’t always the ones with the best models.
They’re the ones who act, learn, and adapt faster.
The real takeaway isn’t “move fast and break things.”
It’s this:
Don’t wait for perfect AI.
Focus on solving real problems.
Momentum matters more than polish.
That lesson is worth far more than any single model breakthrough.
