One of my most vivid memories from my eight years at The Wall Street Journal was sitting with my boss talking about the future of Google. I had just taken over the beat, and my editor was trying to map out for me how to cover the most important internet company at the time (and arguably now).
“If you just remember one theme, it’s that the easy stuff is over,” he said to me. “Now the hard part begins.” Indeed, Google had seen rocket-ship growth through search and was facing pressure from investors for a next act. Android. Cloud. Chrome. Google Wave! Each was a new attempt. That narrative—where’s the next big act?—defined my coverage and that of other Google beat reporters for years to come.
