Steve Ballmer

We used to use this on all these devices and we became too wed to extending what we had versus jumping to something new because in a sense we were too confident. Hmm. We were too confident. If we only Windowsized something, you guys make a point in your episode on us. You guys call it sticking with Windows too long, but that may be it. But I don't think we stuck with Windows too long.

I think what we did is we tried to put Windows in places that it didn't naturally go. And we tried to be too Windows-y, both in the API and the UI in some things. Mobile being an obvious. Windows Mobile, exactly. And the car. The car. We did a layer on Windows that when you hooked your PC up to the TV, it had a simplified user interface for the TV.

I think what we did is we tried to put Windows in places that it didn't naturally go. And we tried to be too Windows-y, both in the API and the UI in some things. Mobile being an obvious. Windows Mobile, exactly. And the car. The car. We did a layer on Windows that when you hooked your PC up to the TV, it had a simplified user interface for the TV.

Media Center.

Media Center.

Media Center, exactly right. So we became convinced either out of... to some degree, paranoia and some degree confidence. You know, okay, well, our birthright here comes from windows. That's our permission to enter the area. But then we also, in some areas, it just wasn't going to be extensible. So there was both like a fear and a overstated confidence in trying to take windows everywhere.

Media Center, exactly right. So we became convinced either out of... to some degree, paranoia and some degree confidence. You know, okay, well, our birthright here comes from windows. That's our permission to enter the area. But then we also, in some areas, it just wasn't going to be extensible. So there was both like a fear and a overstated confidence in trying to take windows everywhere.

And that worked for us on Windows Server. So it's not like we didn't have an existence proof that the thing could work. But, you know, if you're going to, in my little deck I gave you. Yes, please. You know, if you're trying to skate to where the puck is, if you're trying to recognize, what did I call this, about capabilities. If you're a startup in something, there's an ongoing business.

And that worked for us on Windows Server. So it's not like we didn't have an existence proof that the thing could work. But, you know, if you're going to, in my little deck I gave you. Yes, please. You know, if you're trying to skate to where the puck is, if you're trying to recognize, what did I call this, about capabilities. If you're a startup in something, there's an ongoing business.

You just keep enhancing your products. There's a line extension. Okay, we're going to add networking to Windows. No problem. You still call it Windows. It's related, but new. SQL Server, for example, was that for a while. It was related because we had a backend platform. Dynamics, somewhat related, our accounting, et cetera, stuff, because there was some enterprise-y sales, but it was really new.

You just keep enhancing your products. There's a line extension. Okay, we're going to add networking to Windows. No problem. You still call it Windows. It's related, but new. SQL Server, for example, was that for a while. It was related because we had a backend platform. Dynamics, somewhat related, our accounting, et cetera, stuff, because there was some enterprise-y sales, but it was really new.

And it turned out the phone was more like a startup. The phone was more like a startup. And recognizing and thinking about things and then asking yourself, what capabilities do you need? I say get in the weight room. You've got to develop capability. Take a look at a capability we developed that is now essential. We didn't build it for this reason. Hardware design.

And it turned out the phone was more like a startup. The phone was more like a startup. And recognizing and thinking about things and then asking yourself, what capabilities do you need? I say get in the weight room. You've got to develop capability. Take a look at a capability we developed that is now essential. We didn't build it for this reason. Hardware design.

Microsoft's a major hardware design company now. Now, I started it out mostly to help client-side devices. Surface. Xbox, Surface, phone. And guess what? They use that mostly now in Azure data centers. I think the guy who actually runs hardware design used to be on Xbox. The backend hardware design for the data center, the chip, et cetera, infrastructure.

Microsoft's a major hardware design company now. Now, I started it out mostly to help client-side devices. Surface. Xbox, Surface, phone. And guess what? They use that mostly now in Azure data centers. I think the guy who actually runs hardware design used to be on Xbox. The backend hardware design for the data center, the chip, et cetera, infrastructure.

I'm pretty sure there are a lot of talent we brought in. So building capabilities is important. We built some capability, but we didn't build enough capability. We didn't see things as different enough. Okay, let's try to keep the comfortable Windows user interface because people understand it. It wasn't right for the phone.

I'm pretty sure there are a lot of talent we brought in. So building capabilities is important. We built some capability, but we didn't build enough capability. We didn't see things as different enough. Okay, let's try to keep the comfortable Windows user interface because people understand it. It wasn't right for the phone.

I don't even remember what processors we started out on, but I'm pretty sure we started out on Intel. Of course that wasn't right. We tried to keep too much consistency, both out of... sort of a fear that this was our permission to exist and out of a self-confidence that, you know, we had to put windows everywhere.

I don't even remember what processors we started out on, but I'm pretty sure we started out on Intel. Of course that wasn't right. We tried to keep too much consistency, both out of... sort of a fear that this was our permission to exist and out of a self-confidence that, you know, we had to put windows everywhere.

I would say two things were true at the time for us. And this is specifically about mobile. it's also about something else. It's a little bit out of search too. There are two things that are true. Number one, you have to be focusing consciously on the issue. It's easy to get caught up in, you know, there's innovators dilemma. It's a little different, but you get caught up in what you have.