Why are the two founders of Google stepping down? What’s next for Google?

Ever since 1998 when Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google, the two have been at the helm of operations. On December 3 of 2019, Page and Brin officially stepped down from their executive roles at Google’s parent company, Alphabet. They continue as majority stockholders.

The year prior to their official resignation, both Page and Brin had stopped appearing at weekly all-staff meetings and Page did not attend Alphabet’s shareholder meeting in June of 2019 as expected.

Page’s last appearance at a company meeting was in 2018 when he apologized for the handling of former senior executive Andy Rubin who was found to have credible sexual harassment claims against him and was then paid a $90 million payout.

Chief executive Sundar Pichai will become the chief of both Google and Alphabet. Pichai had been running Google’s search engine and advertising operations since 2015, as Page and Brin had been more involved in other risky side ventures under the parent company.

Brin and Page will remain on the Board of Directors as advisors, but will no longer hold staff positions within the company. Instead, Pichai will be solely responsible for search, advertising, maps, smartphone software, video & several new developments like delivery drones.

One of the many passion projects Brin is moving towards is the flying-car start-up called Kitty Hawk.

Google was a pioneer in tech company culture, launching generous perks like free shuttle buses to the office and giving every single employee the sense that they have a stake in the company.

Pichai may already be turning the tide of the company’s former culture, as he has attempted to curb employee unrest and protests by stopping weekly company meetings and restricting discussions on the employee message boards.

Google’s next big venture could be an antitrust fight as Congress and the Justice Department are investigating the way the company dominates the market share in internet search and competes with smaller companies in digital advertising.

Because of the retention of majority voting power and influence on the Board of Directors, Page and Brin would maintain the ability to eject Pichai, so the step down may not result in many sweeping or immediate changes since the founders remain broadly in control.