Bob Elliott on Revenue

Since 1Q24 Google has generated ~30bln in excess earnings in their cloud unit, but has paid ~140bln in capex to get it. Given the 5-7 year depreciation, its not a particularly compelling return. Certainly not good enough to blow 100% of their free cashflow on the bet.

455 likes74 repliesPosted Jul 22, 2026

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Viral score

Based on absolute engagement — the platform doesn’t expose follower counts here, so large accounts score higher.

From likes, comments.

Why it worked

Leads with a specific number, which is concrete enough to be worth a second of attention.
Gives away something genuinely useful before asking for anything.
Short enough to read in full without expanding, which removes a step before the point lands.
Short sentences keep the pace up, so the reader never has to re-read a line.

The mechanics

Hook: Leads with a number
Structure: Hook → Landing
Style: Conversational paragraphs at a steady pace.
Tone: plain, matter-of-fact
Mechanisms: Reciprocity
Written for: Founders and operators

Analysis by ViralLoop — not written by the original author.

Topics

Revenue

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