The Friday Wall Street Journal featured an interview with the head of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer (available online to subscribers only, unfortunately). Many of the question focused on what will change when Bill Gates retires in two years.
WSJ: Many companies faded away after their founders left. What can you say that would assure people that, now that the co-founder is moving on, Microsoft is in good hands?
Ballmer: There have been many companies who lost their greatness post their founders... When did China get great? China didn't get great under Mao Zedong. China got great under - in the recent years - probably got great under Deng Xiaoping.
Not that there's anything wrong with it or anything, but I find it fascinating that Ballmer would find a way to compare Microsoft to communist China and Bill Gates to Mao Zedong. Just imagine the hundreds of easily accessible examples he had at his disposal. How is it that he landed on China?
I think it's also telling that he labels the country "great", presumably referring to its economic strength and role in the world, regardless of human rights abuses and restrictions on freedom. It's as if success is all that matters, no matter the cost or methods used.
Interesting.
I have been going back and forth about how I feel about Microsoft for years and statements like this always seem to just drive me crazy. When Money & power seem to be all that matter, where does that put a company in conversation about ethics and morality?
Posted by: Robert Lyons | July 29, 2006 at 08:30 AM
I think it can safely be said that Ballmer is a bit out of touch:
http://www.molly.com/2005/09/16/no-mr-ballmer-microsoft-will-not-win-the-web/
Posted by: Nathan Smith | July 29, 2006 at 01:16 PM
That statement does not surprise me at all -- SteveB is absolutely crazy when it comes to speaking. He held a forum with Microsoft interns last week and was off the wall. Unless he's delivering a prewritten speech, I believe that he stuggles to organize his thoughts in a professional manner, so it's an amusing coincidence that he compared BillG to Mao. When it comes down to business, though, I hold confidence in the strategic future of Microsoft as communicated by the leaders of the individual business units.
Posted by: James Reggio | July 29, 2006 at 10:38 PM
I think Ballmer is cool. He displays this off the wall zaniness that is the antithesis of the Evil Empire image Microsoft needs to shake. He's a big kid who is bananas about what technology can do. He does not seem calculating and dastardly - purely image-wise I think he works for Microsoft in its tough transistion.
Posted by: Mark Rose | August 02, 2006 at 08:09 AM
I've been a M'soft developer for almost 10 years now. Between Bill Gate's "...better things to do on a Sunday morning" statement, the Ballmer chair kicking episode, and this latest statement. I think it may seriously be time to jump ship. Problem is finding a job at the same pay rate.
Posted by: John Swaringen | August 02, 2006 at 03:31 PM