Intuition in Action: Learning from Sergey Brin, Google Glass, and the Real World

To watch Intuition in Action:

To read it: Hello and welcome! Today we’re going to talk about intuition — not as something mystical or vague, but as a very real and trainable skill. We’ll look at why intuition is so important in our complex world, how it works best, and how truly successful people, like Google’s Sergey Brin, use intuition in ways you might not expect.

We’ll dive into fascinating examples, including the story of Google Glass — a technology that failed in the consumer market but taught more than it lost. And I’ll share how the intuitive mind is not just about “hunches,” but about constant self-checking, learning, and growth. Let’s begin!

Why Do We Need Intuition?

You might be thinking: Why should I trust my gut? Isn’t logic more reliable?But let’s be honest — logic and reason are powerful, but they only work with information you already have, or with rules you know. The world is full of uncertainty. Sometimes, what you need is an inner compass that points the way, even when the path isn’t clear. That’s what intuition is.

Still, intuition isn’t infallible. Left unchecked, it can lead us astray — into bias, superstition, or wishful thinking. So, the real art is learning to develop intuition and to test it against reality, logic, and feedback.

The Quiet Genius of Sergey Brin

Let’s take Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, as a living example.Most people barely notice him — he doesn’t chase publicity, he doesn’t dominate headlines, and he’s rarely the loudest voice in the room. And yet, he stands behind one of the most quietly powerful systems ever created: Google.

Think about it:Google is bigger, more influential, and more deeply embedded in daily life than most empires in history. But unlike empires, Google doesn’t conquer; it offers — and then it steps aside.

It gives you instant access to the world’s information, free, and then disappears. Sergey Brin helped create that. He’s what I’d call an “invisible architect”, ornamentalist.

There’s a lesson here:The best systems are the ones that work so well, you barely notice their creators. Sergey Brin exemplifies a rare kind of intuitive genius. His gift wasn’t just technical skill — it was the ability to see the whole system, and to make it feel natural for billions of people.

“The perfect search engine would understand exactly what you mean and give back exactly what you want.”— Sergey Brin said to Wired

This is an intuitive vision — seeing the end result before knowing exactly how to get there. But intuition alone isn’t enough.

Intuition Meets Logic — The Learning Loop

The intuitive mind constantly proposes bold hypotheses — What if we could make information universally accessible? What if we could build a wearable computer?

But here’s the secret:Successful Intuitive people don’t just dream. They test. They check their gut feelings against data, real outcomes, and especially — feedback from others.

This is how the best innovators, like Sergey Brin, train their intuition. It’s not a one-time leap; it’s a cycle:

Intuition sparks a hypothesis.

Logic builds a plan or prototype.

Ethic establishes network.

Reality (users, data, experience) gives feedback.

The intuitive mind absorbs the result, adapts, and tries again.

Over time, intuition gets sharper, more accurate, and more trusted — because it is always being tested.

Example: The Evolution of Google Search

Let’s make it practical. In the early days of the internet, everyone obsessed over “keywords.” Website owners stuffed pages with repetitive words, believing that’s how search engines worked. But people don’t think in keywords; they think in questions, phrases, full thoughts.

I will give you a short case: Everyone needs money. However, for intuitives, money connects the right people. For rationals, money loves counting. For ethicals, money helps people. Practitioners trade money on the exchange. The key word is one — money, but it is placed in different contexts, the users themselves may not even suspect this. And the search results must be different for the four types of intelligence. Otherwise, they are irritated. Such a large database as Google has the ability to conduct content analysis of queries, but it was not easy for even Sergey to understand.

Fortunately, Sergey Brin and his team realized things. Their intuition said: “People just want answers, in their own language, not a list of matching words.” But they didn’t just go with the feeling — they tested. They watched how people searched, experimented with algorithms, and checked whether the search results actually made people happy. They used logic and user data to refine the system.

Today, Google Search doesn’t just match words — it understands meaning and context. That’s the fruit of intuition, matured through logic and reality checks.

The Google Glass Experiment — When Intuition Collides with Reality

Now, let’s talk about Google Glass — one of the boldest (and most controversial) products Google ever made.

Intuition at work:The idea was visionary. Sergey Brin and his team believed the future was wearable, that people would want to access information at a glance, anywhere, anytime.

But here’s where it gets interesting:Intuition was right about the direction — but wrong about the details.

When Reality Pushes Back

Privacy Backlash: People felt threatened by the always-on camera. Bars and cafés put up “No Google Glass” signs.

Safety Concerns: Imagine crossing a busy street with a digital screen in your peripheral vision. Distracting, and potentially dangerous.

Style & Social Acceptance: Glass wearers felt awkward, sometimes ridiculed. It wasn’t “cool.”

Limited Usefulness: Most people didn’t see a “killer app.”

Price: At $1,500, it was out of reach for everyday users.

What Did Sergey Brin Say?Instead of defending the product at all costs, Brin was honest:

“It was probably our biggest flop. But Glass taught us more than many of our successes.”— Sergey Brin

That’s crucial. An intuitive idea, when confronted by reality, needs to adapt or die. The point isn’t to be right — it’s to learn.

Professional Redemption

But here’s the twist:Google Glass did find a second life — in medicine, manufacturing, logistics, and training. Surgeons use it for hands-free instructions. Warehouse workers get checklists in their field of vision.

The intuition was valid for specific, high-value contexts, not for the general public.

Intuition and Feedback — The Secret Growth Formula

So, what does this teach us?

Intuition needs logic: Every gut feeling should be put to the test — with a prototype, a plan, an experiment.

Intuition needs reality: The world, and especially other people, are the best teachers. If something feels off, don’t ignore it — ask why.

Intuition needs humility: Even the brightest minds get things wrong. The key is to treat every failure as a lesson, not a disaster.

Intuition grows through cycles: Every time you check your inner compass against the map of reality, it gets stronger — and so do you.

Sergey Brin is the perfect model of this cycle in action. Quietly, he let feedback reshape his ideas and his company. He wasn’t afraid to pivot, to retreat, to try again.

Lessons for Life — How to Train Your Own Intuition

So, how can you apply this to your life? Let me offer a few practical steps:

Listen to your gut — but don’t stop there. When you have a feeling or a hunch, write it down. Make it specific.

Form a hypothesis. Ask: “If this is true, what would I see in the world?”

Test it. Try something small. Get feedback — from reality, from people you trust, from data if you can.

Adjust. If your intuition was right, celebrate and integrate that lesson. If it was off, figure out why — and try again.

Repeat the process. The more you practice, the more reliable your intuition becomes.

Remember: intuition is not the enemy of logic. They’re partners in growth.

Final Thoughts — The Invisible Architect

The best intuitive minds are not always the loudest, the boldest, or the most self-promoting. Sometimes, they’re quiet, observant, almost invisible — like Sergey Brin.

Their genius lies not just in dreaming, but in learning, in checking their own ideas against the world, and in letting reality fine-tune their instincts. That’s the kind of intuition worth trusting. And it’s available to all of us — if we dare to use it, test it, and grow with it.

Thank you for reading. Trust your intuition — but train it like a muscle. And who knows, maybe your quiet insight will be the next invisible force to change the world.