Google search boss warns employees of 'new operating reality,' urges them to move faster

Wearing a hoodie with the words "We use Math" on the front, Google search boss Prabhakar Raghavan had an important message for employees at an all-hands meeting last month. But he first wanted them to settle in and get comfortable.

"Grab your boba teas," Raghavan told the crowd, gathered in a theaterat the company's headquarters in Mountain View, California.

Raghavan, who reports directly to CEO Sundar Pichai and leads key groups including search, ads, maps and commerce, was addressing Google's knowledge and information organization, which consists of more than 25,000 full-time employees.

"I think we can agree that things are not like they were 15-20 years ago, things have changed," Raghavan said, according to audio of the event obtained by CNBC. He was referring to the search industry, which Google has dominated for two decades, emerging as one of the most profitable and valuable companies on the planet along the way.

Raghavan said Google's digital ad business had become "the envy of the world." He noted that over the last three years, annual revenue has grown by more than $100 billion, exceeding Starbucks, Mazda and TikTok combined.

At a company long known across Silicon Valley for its free, gourmet lunches and endless on-campus perks, Raghavan's comments serve as the latest warning to employees that growth for Google is getting harder.

"It's not like life is going to be hunky-dory, forever," he said.

Over roughly 35 minutes, Raghavan peppered his reality check address with sports metaphors and rallying cries.

"If there's a clear and present market reality, we need to twitch faster, like the athletes twitch faster," he said.

He referenced heightened competition and a more challenging regulatory environment. Though he didn't