However, many of these "hobbies" actively support ad traffic. Chrome and Android ensured Google's high market share for search & maps while delivering additional ad revenue channels.
By the number of projects most are side projects that make a loss, but the really big ones have a big contribution to Google's success (via ads).
I would say that it's a search company that monetizes via advertising. The adwords product is so bad that you'd have a hard time arguing that they care that much about ads.
“No one wants to face the reality that this is an advertising company with a bunch of hobbies.”
It's so brutal but (IMHO) sums up Alphabet in one sentence.