Google already had the failed Google Video to know that there usual approach would fail. I'd say it was natural to let YouTube run itself while providing additional help with the infrastructure and adverts. Also notice they did eventually replace the old social network with G+ which is otherwise so thoroughly dead as to be mostly forgotten.
I don't think they had acknowledged Video failed, at that point. YouTube was more of a hedge. A very good one.
Similar could be said for Facebook. Though, I think they just segmented their market better.
Bezos, I believe, is best at this. How many things has he acquired and left completely alone? It is almost baffling how good Zappos is for buying shoes, while Amazon is pretty awful.
The other impressive bit about Bezos is his knack for bargain hunting. I don't think he's paid more than a billion dollars for any of his acquisitions. Twitch, Zappos, and Kiva were all just under a billion. Wildly impressive given the advantages that each provide!
If I understand your comparison, I see what you are saying and we are not quite in disagreement. Google took their hedge after seeing the video service they created fail to gather the momentum and use YouTube had. At the time it did not even compare to Vimeo and maybe even Dailymotion. So they took a hedge as things were looking like they would not get that market segment. And outside of YouTube dying that's likely what would have happened.
Facebook saw a trend in IG they couldn't compete with without fundamentally changing their product. Where IG could have created alternate complementary products and began eating onto FB market. There really isn't room for two networks like FB anymore and the adolescents I know won't touch FB. Its all snapchat and IG. (Which offer much better incentives.)
Both were moves to absorb a niche where each company would have difficulty compering. My claim is FB's was more forward thinking and less reactionary.
Amazon doesn't leave everything alone. Zappos is one of the few Amazon acquisitions that included a culture clause. Everything else is rewritten as soon as it's on the Bezos radar.
I never viewed him as a CEO. :( Likely my view is just off.
Though, I'm now curious how much of this Bezos learned from him. Weren't they close? It makes sense to view these acquisitions as investments, instead of takeovers.
And for everyone that has given examples of Google doing this. Apologies for not responding individually. I am glad to hear it is more that they just get a lot of press for the mistakes. I'd love to see more press dedicated to what appear as successes. I guess they have to be ballpark hits to get press?
