Well, Google is a big company. Politics are a thing. A lot of younger hires don't know how to navigate that kind of environment. I had a lot of trouble in that area. I joined a smaller firm and things improved dramatically. As the smaller firm grew, I grew into understanding and learning how to navigate politics gradually.

You find this in every single industry. I used to work in public accounting and it was just like this. Google isn't special in this regard.

To author: good luck! If your startup takes off, let us know!