Google wasn't a fist mover. The way they deal with adds, and the way they market themselves, are ways to make what they do profitable, but what they are is a search (and mail, and maps other things) site for end users.
Anyone can be a "first mover" if you narrow what your considering to the point that they become first, but most big companies (tech companies and otherwise) where not first movers. Some of them (and many of the non-tech companies) where not even fast-followers, in the broad field that they work in.
And your not just calling for recognizing business opportunities quickly, your calling for government support and direction. MS, Cisco, Intel etc. sell to governments, and even receive subsidies from governments (for example local and state governments giving tax breaks and other benefits to Intel to build a new fab at their location rather than elsewhere), but that's not what made them successful, or what caused them to produce useful products. They produces useful products and became successful in the pursuit of profit, not because of political directives. |
