After getting a PhD in (non-CS) engineering and a boring office job, I became somewhat enamored with the idea of Google's 20% time allowance and its apparent spirit of innovation. It led me recently to begin investing my free time in learning the foundations of CS properly. While this effort could lead me down different paths, in the back of my mind, I always thought it would be really cool to land a job at Google. That possibility, whatever its likelihood, has motivated me.
So in some sense, this comes as depressing news.
But not really, because another company will take its place, and I can set my sights there.