Google actively encourages innovation across its workforce. This approach sometimes leads to multiple teams tackling similar ideas. The company sees this internal drive as beneficial. It pushes employees to develop strong solutions. Google manages the resulting project overlap carefully.

(How Google handles internal competition and project overlap)

Teams often work on competing concepts internally. Google believes this competition sparks better products. The company has systems to identify overlapping efforts early. Leaders regularly review project portfolios. This helps spot redundancy. When overlaps happen, Google doesn’t automatically shut projects down. Instead, it evaluates them.

A dedicated process exists for reviewing competing projects. Senior leaders examine the technical merits. They look at market potential. They consider the team’s execution ability. Resources like engineers and funding are also assessed. The goal is finding the strongest path forward. Sometimes teams merge. Sometimes one project absorbs another. Occasionally, projects stop entirely. This happened with messaging apps Duo and Allo. Resources shifted to other priorities.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai supports this model. He states healthy competition drives excellence. The company fosters an environment where sharing ideas is encouraged. Teams present progress frequently. Internal tech forums allow discussion. This transparency helps leaders make informed choices. It also helps teams learn from each other.

(How Google handles internal competition and project overlap)

The company also runs experimental units like Area 120. Employees pitch new ideas there. Promising concepts get funding and time to develop. Successful projects may graduate into full Google products. This provides another structured outlet for innovation. It reduces random project duplication elsewhere. Google continuously refines how it handles internal competition. The focus remains on building the best products efficiently. This involves difficult decisions about resource allocation. The company views this as necessary for sustained growth.