> Page consulted with [SVP of Engineering Bill] Coughran. Coughran said he could no longer peacefully referee what was becoming an increasingly hostile relationship between Singhal and Mayer. Coughran said that a couple times a week, one or the other would be in his office, complaining and asking to lead the organization.
> “We’re going to have to pick somebody here,” he told Page.
The feud was with Singhal. Page only picked the winner. I'd recommend you just read the book (the quotes are from chapter 6).
I worked at Google for a very long time and always wondered if Mayer wasn't in the OC because her and Page dated for awhile back at the beginning of Google. The optics of having your ex-gf in your inner circle seems like it would look bad, corporate politics or not.
Many of the other folks in the OC are super-long-timers and would've been around when Mayer and Page were an item, adding to the awkwardness.
> “We’re going to have to pick somebody here,” he told Page.
The feud was with Singhal. Page only picked the winner. I'd recommend you just read the book (the quotes are from chapter 6).