Steve Ballmer

Correct. But I mean, it's clear in all these competitions, the thing you need is third parties that reinforce what you've got, add value around what you've got. And I could say run on your platform, but I'll come to that later if you want to, what a platform is and isn't, if you want to do that. It's kind of interesting, I think. Yeah, let's do it.

Particularly since everything's called a platform these days. But anyway, so- Let's take an aside here. Give us your definition of a platform. You could call it anything that is extensible. And it's the extensibility... That quote makes it a platform because you're going to get people to extend the value you add.

Particularly since everything's called a platform these days. But anyway, so- Let's take an aside here. Give us your definition of a platform. You could call it anything that is extensible. And it's the extensibility... That quote makes it a platform because you're going to get people to extend the value you add.

The question is, and the reason that's important is, applications are platforms too, not just developer platforms. When people say that, they might mean Azure, AWS, or in the old days, Windows or Windows Server or Unix, then Linux. Yes, those are platforms. You extend them. But you also extend Office. You add value. Partners plug in. They write applications. They use the file formats.

The question is, and the reason that's important is, applications are platforms too, not just developer platforms. When people say that, they might mean Azure, AWS, or in the old days, Windows or Windows Server or Unix, then Linux. Yes, those are platforms. You extend them. But you also extend Office. You add value. Partners plug in. They write applications. They use the file formats.

All of this stuff is platform. And part of the issue, I think, for Microsoft is if you see yourself as just a platform company, A, platforms need apps. You want to have the top first party app that runs on your platform. Otherwise your platform can't get good. Office was the best first party app on Windows and that's how things get good. Outlook was the best first party app on exchange.

All of this stuff is platform. And part of the issue, I think, for Microsoft is if you see yourself as just a platform company, A, platforms need apps. You want to have the top first party app that runs on your platform. Otherwise your platform can't get good. Office was the best first party app on Windows and that's how things get good. Outlook was the best first party app on exchange.

There were other clients at one point, by the way. So you really do want extensibility in your apps. In addition to your quote platform, you want to make sure you own first party app in addition to quote platform. And I think you can get stuck in the mud if you say we're just a platform company. And I think we got it into our corporate mindset that we were, quote, a platform company.

There were other clients at one point, by the way. So you really do want extensibility in your apps. In addition to your quote platform, you want to make sure you own first party app in addition to quote platform. And I think you can get stuck in the mud if you say we're just a platform company. And I think we got it into our corporate mindset that we were, quote, a platform company.

Far more than I ever intended. I mean, there were people telling me in the mid to late 2000s, well, we can't do that. We're a platform company. I said, yes, we can do that. Right? And by 2010, I was just frustrated with myself and my inability to get people out of the, we're just a platform company. And I think to this day, you have to think app with platform.

Far more than I ever intended. I mean, there were people telling me in the mid to late 2000s, well, we can't do that. We're a platform company. I said, yes, we can do that. Right? And by 2010, I was just frustrated with myself and my inability to get people out of the, we're just a platform company. And I think to this day, you have to think app with platform.

You have to think extensibility of the app and the quote platform. And I think we got caught on that. Maybe I got caught on it for a while, and I certainly got caught in my inability to tell people what the company needed to do because people had such a culture then of saying we're a platform company, we're a platform. And so now I go back to developers, developers, developers.

You have to think extensibility of the app and the quote platform. And I think we got caught on that. Maybe I got caught on it for a while, and I certainly got caught in my inability to tell people what the company needed to do because people had such a culture then of saying we're a platform company, we're a platform. And so now I go back to developers, developers, developers.

I'm trying to tell people at that time. that third parties really mattered. And you got different opinions inside Microsoft. And what event was this at? A developer conference, I think.

I'm trying to tell people at that time. that third parties really mattered. And you got different opinions inside Microsoft. And what event was this at? A developer conference, I think.

External developers. And who's Windows' number one client? Is it Office or is it all developers? You ask the Windows team, it's all developers. You ask the Office team, come on, you got to do for us what we need to do. You have to...

External developers. And who's Windows' number one client? Is it Office or is it all developers? You ask the Windows team, it's all developers. You ask the Office team, come on, you got to do for us what we need to do. You have to...

You have to be able to communicate that you really care about developers who are not your own, that you really want these things because they may think, oh, it's all about running Microsoft Office. And we just had to tell people, we want you, we want you, we want you, we want you. And I think we got caught in thinking it's all about third parties and not also about our first party apps.

You have to be able to communicate that you really care about developers who are not your own, that you really want these things because they may think, oh, it's all about running Microsoft Office. And we just had to tell people, we want you, we want you, we want you, we want you. And I think we got caught in thinking it's all about third parties and not also about our first party apps.

And that's where you say, are you a... The word consumer sounds like unserious. Are you for users and for enterprises, which really means IT departments? Or are you for users and not IT departments? And do you allow both all aspects of what you do to be extended by developers? That's the frame I believe in. You know, we had some issues over the course of where we went in the 2000.