One thing people often miss: Gmail’s search isn’t broken because it’s technically hard. It’s broken because it's not a priority.
Accurate, user-respecting search doesn’t drive engagement or ad revenue. Nudging you toward the Promotions tab does. So over time, product decisions optimize for "glanceable convenience" rather than depth or control.
it’s disinterest, bordering on contempt. The infra could support proper search. But letting power users mass-delete or filter with precision is not part of the funnel.
Accurate, user-respecting search doesn’t drive engagement or ad revenue. Nudging you toward the Promotions tab does. So over time, product decisions optimize for "glanceable convenience" rather than depth or control.
it’s disinterest, bordering on contempt. The infra could support proper search. But letting power users mass-delete or filter with precision is not part of the funnel.