jtara - 7:01 pm on Nov 17, 2007 (gmt 0)

Given that information (four engineers & one product manager & six months), HOW is it possible that Microsoft, Yahoo! and others (yes that means you Ask.com) find it so hard to launch a copycat system to Adsense?

Because they've probably allocated 100 engineers and a product-managing committee.

You get above a certain staffing size, and productivity DROPS. For most software projects, that number is a small handful.

The classic "Mythical Man Month" still applies. If you haven't read it, do.