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Steve Ballmer: Opportunities in Difficult Times

Stanford University
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adambl Avatar
adambl
Posts: 34
Posted: 05.08.09, 10:48 AM
I kind of feel like he's using "like a startup" as a metaphor for "we're really bad at this".
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springfieldcolors Avatar
springfieldcolors
Posts: 1
Posted: 05.14.09, 12:05 PM
when a guy asking question told steve tht microsoft hasnt been doing breakthrough innovation...the guy should hav thought about the awesome Microsoft Surface and Microsoft Home before sharing his opinion ........
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tjbogart33 Avatar
tjbogart33
Posts: 1
Posted: 05.24.09, 11:57 AM
I think you would do well to actually look at the history of 1) Microsoft recognizing at it's highest levels that it has always been behind it's competitors in product innovation and quality. The internal emails that have come out in the copious trials are quite illuminating. Which leads to 2) the history of perhaps being the most litigated company in history, and the billions paid out in cases where the judgement was public (or even the public out of court 2 billion to SUN), plus the unknown amounts in undisclosed out of court settlements, which arguably wouldn't be necessary if they were the innovation leader rather than trailer....and it speaks to the real business model of the company. As long as they can make more money from a product than they pay in judgments - well, that is a positive balance sheet.

One of my favorite examples from the early 2000's was a new first line manager to our group. Had been in the industry for quite some years, and had also taught night school tech classes for more than a decade. Basically, his take was 'look, you seem to be a smart guy, I just don't understand your Microsoft bashing ... they are clearly the leader .... I even use their products (particularly Project) in my classes for years - I just don't see the problems you talk about'. I first sent him down the road I mentioned above - looking at the internal mail from the court cases and the overview of the court cases themselve - and challenged him to use Project for a real life case, not just a small class assignment. After about a month of building with Project, it (famously) swallowed all the work to that point - an no amount of working thru the Windows support teams could he recover anything - coupled with the reading led him to the quite a different view and an apology to me.

From time to time I start to collect the various personal tidbits like that and swear I am going to make a book of it - but even I find it more rewarding to learn what I can do with software that works with me than spending too much time showing how the lessons I learned over a decade ago still apply today.

Though a little bit every once in awhile is cathartic. 8-)
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Vasil Avatar
Vasil
Posts: 46
Posted: 06.10.09, 02:19 PM
I enjoyed Steve's answer to what is more useful: learning from a stable corporate environment or diving into start-up that has a high failing probability. I strongly believe that we're learning from both positive and negative experiences, but the main goal is to give it a hundred percent at the same time enjoying what you do.
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GLoLady TV Avatar
GLoLady TV
Posts: 1
Posted: 06.10.09, 07:03 PM
Glow in the dark escape route systems are required Local Law 26 in New York City... soon to be International Law.

How many 7 story buildings are there in the World?

Revolutionize the US economy using the profits to heal the disease and decay in Society based upon the business plan of Milton S. Hershey, who built the town of Hershey, PA during the Depression. "Business is a matter of Human Service"

Anyone want to share the Wealth?
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samtheman Avatar
samtheman
Posts: 14
Posted: 06.25.09, 03:02 PM
Hilarious! "Mircrosoft is like a startup"? What world do they live in?

The term startup is supposed to signify a company that is still in its initial phase of developing and growing their product. It includes a 1-20+/- person company and about 1-3 years old. That's why they are called "start" "ups." Once you grow to about 50 people, you're a legit company and not really a startup, no matter how much you would like to think so. Everybody grows up eventually. You can't be a startup forever. (Keep living the Peter Pan dream.)

Microsoft is saying they are a 'startup' because they don't always have the resources to expend money and energy into some possible feature/product. BS. Yahoo, Microsoft, and Apple are the top leading companies and have plenty of money to invest in their company as well as acquire other companies as well. Microsoft cannot always expect to be on top of everything but they shouldn't blame their lack of products due to 'being a startup.'
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Linux Avatar
Linux
Posts: 9
Posted: 07.02.09, 02:15 AM
Words cannot describe the stupidity of this man
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aeroseth Avatar
aeroseth
Posts: 1
Posted: 07.08.09, 09:35 PM
So true, what's next is Steve going to start refering to failed Microsoft products as "Hobbies"?
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Bashful320 Avatar
Bashful320
Posts: 27
Posted: 07.15.09, 11:15 AM
I checked out Bing and although it has a visual appeal, it has no chance against Google. I read now that Bing and Twitter are teaming up to display real time results, which may improve its chances....or not: http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/14...t-sounds-like/
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expectoblogonum Avatar
expectoblogonum
Posts: 4
Posted: 08.12.09, 02:21 PM
I find this guy very superficial and scary... Gates seems to be in control when he does a speech.
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