Platforms and Luck

On ZDNet today, Zack Whittaker writes about Yahoo!’s attempt to launch a new browser. In his words, “…it couldn’t even do that right without fouling it up. Yahoo could probably trip over a chain in the street and unwittingly pull the plug on the Great Lakes — it’s that unlucky.”

Hmmm….

Luck doesn’t have anything to do with the state of Yahoo!

Much of the best talent has left Yahoo! over the past five years. Think about it: if you’re a rock star programmer or manager, is Yahoo! where you really want to work?

This isn’t to say that Yahoo! is plagued by B- and C-level people, to paraphrase Steve Jobs. Are there smart people there? Of course. But I’d bet that many of them have abandoned ship, especially over the last few years. In-demand people have their choice of top-notch outfits.

And even über-talented folks need strong, seasoned, and stable leadership from the top, not exactly something that Yahoo! has had over the past five years.