Why Google when you can Krugle?

If you are an open source developer, or need detailed code resources, Krugle is better than Google.

But wait, you say. Doesn't Google have a code search engine, called Google Code, with its own search feature? Yes, but it's not as good.

The reason for that is, just as Google beat Yahoo by concentrating on search, Krugle has concentrated on searches involving computer code. He understands that you don't just seek out code by keyword. So Krugle offers searches in various dimension -- projects, tech pages, and code -- and it presents results so you can get right to work.

Before starting work on Krugle, Ken says, he talked to experts in the field, and was aware Google might want to do something like this. "Google is like Microsoft was in the 1980s. It's the name everyone thinks of before starting anything. But if you let yourself be paralyzed by the fact Google might do what you want to do, you will never do anything."

So Krugle pressed on. And with the launch of Google Code, Krugle's traffic has gone up. His goals for the next year are modest -- a million uniques a day -- and he still has yet to monetize that traffic.

But open source programmers have another important aid, because Ken Krugle was not afraid. There is a lesson there for all of us.