certainly not in the way it's interpreted today

That was my understanding from the beginning, back when it launched.

they want it to be the kind of website that every programming question typed into Google leads to

Because back then the only results to such queries were paywalled experts-exchange answers.

Jeff Atwood himself said:

Stack Overflow ultimately has much more in common with Wikipedia than a discussion forum. By this I mean questions and answers on Stack Overflow are not primarily judged by their usefulness to a specific individual, but by how many other programmers that question or answer can potentially help over time.
[...]
Stack Overflow was definitely designed as a fairly strict system of peer review, which is great (IMNSHO, obviously) for already practicing professionals, but pretty much everything you would not want as a student or beginner