4 ms·
FTA: "Ballmer's Microsoft wasn't lacking for ideas; it was lacking execution." Derek Sivers said it best "To me, ideas are worth nothing unless executed. They
by milesf 13y ago
FTA: "Ballmer's Microsoft wasn't lacking for ideas; it was lacking execution."
Derek Sivers said it best "To me, ideas are worth nothing unless executed. They are just a multiplier. Execution is worth millions." (see https://sivers.org/multiply https://sivers.org/multiply)
Whatever the reason for Microsoft's inability to execute, the history shows that Gates (a programmer) could get stuff done, and Ballmer (a salesman) can't.
IMHO it's probably stack ranking that killed their execution (http://slate.me/19Jf74r http://slate.me/19Jf74r). Salespeople (like Ballmer) use external fear to motivate people (Make the sale or my boss will fire me!). Programmers (like Gates) use internal fear to motivate themselves (Make this code work or my colleagues will think I'm stupid!). How can any programmer execute properly in an environment of both internal and external fear?
- kvb 13y agoWasn't stack ranking in use during Gates's tenure as well?
- milesf 13y agoI know Gates was/is in favour of stack ranking, but I don't think it was in use during his term as CEO. Ultimately the answer doesn't matter to me. The company has always been a bully, both in the marketplace and internally towards their staff. No one wants to see a bully succeed. Edit: Wikipedia says "Since the 2000s, Microsoft used a stack ranking similar to the vitality curve." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitality_curve#Criticisms_of_rank-and-yank http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitality_curve#Criticisms_of_ra...) Ballmer became CEO of Microsoft January 2000.
- kvb 13y agoRoot against Microsoft all you want - I just think that stack ranking is too convenient a scapegoat. Valve and Google stack rank, too, but that doesn't mean they're not great companies. Also, Wikipedia's not necessarily an infallible source; see [1] for evidence that stack ranking dates back to '96 or so (at the latest). [1] http://www.alexstjohn.com/WP/2013/08/30/microsoft-review-time-capsule-1997-bill-gates-ceo/ http://www.alexstjohn.com/WP/2013/08/30/microsoft-review-tim...
- milesf 13y agoYou may be right. As I said at the top it was just my humble opinion. I still stand by the statement that execution is vastly more important than ideas. Besides, I gave up rooting against Microsoft years ago. I just don't care about any of their products anymore.