Steve Ballmer

And I kind of think of this as a time to reflect on things I've learned primarily at Microsoft, but also the Clippers about business. I figured, eh, I'll send them to you. And their PowerPoint.

And I kind of think of this as a time to reflect on things I've learned primarily at Microsoft, but also the Clippers about business. I figured, eh, I'll send them to you. And their PowerPoint.

Yeah. Interesting. Very kind. Fathering something. I feel good about that. And I think there's a lot of truth to that. Of course, there are many fathers to the enterprise business at Microsoft. And I feel both good and bad about it. Because the truth is, Microsoft started out as a consumer company. And we built a very important consumer business.

Yeah. Interesting. Very kind. Fathering something. I feel good about that. And I think there's a lot of truth to that. Of course, there are many fathers to the enterprise business at Microsoft. And I feel both good and bad about it. Because the truth is, Microsoft started out as a consumer company. And we built a very important consumer business.

That success translated into the opening to go build an enterprise business. And one of my regrets is we lost the consumer muscle along the way. Because I think the ability to be ultra, ultra. I mean, we're a great company. Microsoft's a great company. But to have both of those muscles totally firing, if I'd been able to sustain that consumer muscle.

That success translated into the opening to go build an enterprise business. And one of my regrets is we lost the consumer muscle along the way. Because I think the ability to be ultra, ultra. I mean, we're a great company. Microsoft's a great company. But to have both of those muscles totally firing, if I'd been able to sustain that consumer muscle.

And I have some ideas about why that didn't happen. But the enterprise muscle?

And I have some ideas about why that didn't happen. But the enterprise muscle?

And so I'm very proud of that. And the fact that, you know, it's also funny when you say consumer and enterprise, what does it mean really to say enterprise? Sometimes it can sound just like backend stuff. And the truth of the matter is Microsoft office slash N three 65, whatever exactly it's called today is super important. It was the foundation for having permission to to be in the enterprise.

And so I'm very proud of that. And the fact that, you know, it's also funny when you say consumer and enterprise, what does it mean really to say enterprise? Sometimes it can sound just like backend stuff. And the truth of the matter is Microsoft office slash N three 65, whatever exactly it's called today is super important. It was the foundation for having permission to to be in the enterprise.

And yet it's a product that sits right there in front of users. So the question is, do you think about users or consumer? And do you think about enterprise or do you think about IT? And then there's developers that span both. And that's kind of my mental model. Do you have products that appeal to consumers?

And yet it's a product that sits right there in front of users. So the question is, do you think about users or consumer? And do you think about enterprise or do you think about IT? And then there's developers that span both. And that's kind of my mental model. Do you have products that appeal to consumers?

That IT can handle and a platform that lets developers build around those and based around those, whether they're building for users, users and IT, or in some instances just for IT people because there's a lot of tools that are just for IT people.

That IT can handle and a platform that lets developers build around those and based around those, whether they're building for users, users and IT, or in some instances just for IT people because there's a lot of tools that are just for IT people.

Yeah, I did, I think. Well, it's 1980. When I get here, the company started obviously in 1975, and there were IBM computers. Oh, yeah, and a couple others. But literally people would say there's IBM computers. And the bunch. And the bunch was Burroughs, Univac, NCR, Control Data, and Honeywell. But they were just the bunch. IBM. And IBM did the mainframe. And it did the software.

Yeah, I did, I think. Well, it's 1980. When I get here, the company started obviously in 1975, and there were IBM computers. Oh, yeah, and a couple others. But literally people would say there's IBM computers. And the bunch. And the bunch was Burroughs, Univac, NCR, Control Data, and Honeywell. But they were just the bunch. IBM. And IBM did the mainframe. And it did the software.

And it did the service. It did everything in computing. Everything. Everything. And then you had this little upstart try again called digital equipment. Yep. Very important in our story because Dave Cutler, who was kind of the father of NT, Windows NT, he came from digital equipment. And they were fighting. They were scrappy. They were mini computers.

And it did the service. It did everything in computing. Everything. Everything. And then you had this little upstart try again called digital equipment. Yep. Very important in our story because Dave Cutler, who was kind of the father of NT, Windows NT, he came from digital equipment. And they were fighting. They were scrappy. They were mini computers.

So smaller than a room, but definitely bigger than a PC, if you will. And all the initial Microsoft software was developed actually on DEC computers. Digital equipment equals DEC. And DEC had a nice business, but it was a lot smaller than IBM. If IBM breathed, that was the direction the computer industry would go. And IBM was the subject of an antitrust lawsuit, shockingly, in 1969.

So smaller than a room, but definitely bigger than a PC, if you will. And all the initial Microsoft software was developed actually on DEC computers. Digital equipment equals DEC. And DEC had a nice business, but it was a lot smaller than IBM. If IBM breathed, that was the direction the computer industry would go. And IBM was the subject of an antitrust lawsuit, shockingly, in 1969.