Steve Ballmer

We couldn't use the Windows user interface. I mean, there were a bunch of things, but you have to go all the way. And yet we had a Windows Everywhere slide.

We couldn't use the Windows user interface. I mean, there were a bunch of things, but you have to go all the way. And yet we had a Windows Everywhere slide.

You get locked. I wrote this thing down here. You get locked in your model. We're a platform company. No, we're an app and platform company.

You get locked. I wrote this thing down here. You get locked in your model. We're a platform company. No, we're an app and platform company.

What year Christmas was this? There was the Christmas of blah, blah, blah year, and it was being on time with the stuff we needed for Verizon. There was a Verizon design win because Verizon by now is really feeling like it's getting its ass kicked by AT&T. iPhone launches on AT&T. Right. In July of 2007. And then it might have been Christmas Eve in 2008. Yeah, because App Store launched next year.

What year Christmas was this? There was the Christmas of blah, blah, blah year, and it was being on time with the stuff we needed for Verizon. There was a Verizon design win because Verizon by now is really feeling like it's getting its ass kicked by AT&T. iPhone launches on AT&T. Right. In July of 2007. And then it might have been Christmas Eve in 2008. Yeah, because App Store launched next year.

I think it's Christmas 2008. Yep. Possibly even 09, but I think 08. Because mobile was like this when it started. It could have even been 09. But Verizon, the empire had to strike back against AT&T, and there was a window.

I think it's Christmas 2008. Yep. Possibly even 09, but I think 08. Because mobile was like this when it started. It could have even been 09. But Verizon, the empire had to strike back against AT&T, and there was a window.

We didn't have our stuff. Look, they would have taken our stuff because they could put pressure back on the manufacturers. But we didn't have the stuff they wanted at the right time. They went Android. And then, you know, we kept pushing because that's, you know, I believe in staying hardcore and then learning and fixing. The problem was we were so locked into our model.

We didn't have our stuff. Look, they would have taken our stuff because they could put pressure back on the manufacturers. But we didn't have the stuff they wanted at the right time. They went Android. And then, you know, we kept pushing because that's, you know, I believe in staying hardcore and then learning and fixing. The problem was we were so locked into our model.

It was hard to say, hey, we're going to learn and fix. You know, would Microsoft, you know, I don't know where we would have gone with things on phone if I had stuck around, but I probably would have stayed at it. And maybe it would be an Android phone at this stage. Who knows? And maybe not.

It was hard to say, hey, we're going to learn and fix. You know, would Microsoft, you know, I don't know where we would have gone with things on phone if I had stuck around, but I probably would have stayed at it. And maybe it would be an Android phone at this stage. Who knows? And maybe not.

Because if you think of yourself as just a platform company, you say we can't do that. If you can think of yourself as an app and platform company with apps that are extensible... then you can say, hey, we actually have a pretty cool user experience that can also leverage some things that we do and can leverage our software skills. And it's okay to embrace that competitor and extend.

Because if you think of yourself as just a platform company, you say we can't do that. If you can think of yourself as an app and platform company with apps that are extensible... then you can say, hey, we actually have a pretty cool user experience that can also leverage some things that we do and can leverage our software skills. And it's okay to embrace that competitor and extend.

But there's so many technologies that are hard to not just popularize, but even get good at unless you have a phone these days. Just take voice. If you want to really be good at voice, You got to get enough signal and you'll get the signal off the phone. You can't say talking to my PC is sufficient.

But there's so many technologies that are hard to not just popularize, but even get good at unless you have a phone these days. Just take voice. If you want to really be good at voice, You got to get enough signal and you'll get the signal off the phone. You can't say talking to my PC is sufficient.

And, and it's not the only, you know, if you want to get good at maps, if you, there's so many things where being on phones and there's some, some things even you can make happen by being on cars. I think Tesla gets good at certain things in software because it is a different form of mobile, so they get good at different things. But we missed. Should the company have kept after it? I don't know.

And, and it's not the only, you know, if you want to get good at maps, if you, there's so many things where being on phones and there's some, some things even you can make happen by being on cars. I think Tesla gets good at certain things in software because it is a different form of mobile, so they get good at different things. But we missed. Should the company have kept after it? I don't know.

That's not my – Satya and Amy and company, they know where they were. But to your original question, big companies deciding – Well, it's not always a mistake to build off what you got, but it can be. Try to get outside of yourself.

That's not my – Satya and Amy and company, they know where they were. But to your original question, big companies deciding – Well, it's not always a mistake to build off what you got, but it can be. Try to get outside of yourself.