Steve Ballmer

We're still in the throes of the thing. My name is Orlando Ayala. I am a proud Colombian. I am not a proud Microsofty today. Our integrity is under assault. My personal integrity feels like it's under assault. Now, he didn't blame us for having behaved badly, but he highlighted the thing that's on everybody's mind, which is it wasn't just a business issue that needed to be taken care of.

We're still in the throes of the thing. My name is Orlando Ayala. I am a proud Colombian. I am not a proud Microsofty today. Our integrity is under assault. My personal integrity feels like it's under assault. Now, he didn't blame us for having behaved badly, but he highlighted the thing that's on everybody's mind, which is it wasn't just a business issue that needed to be taken care of.

It was a culture issue. It was bothering people, particularly senior people, very personally. So I had this whole agenda, had to blow the thing up. And reorient to address that elephant in the room. It was not where I was going with this thing. Completely remap, change the breakout sessions, focus in on this issue. Bill was not happy with the whole thing.

It was a culture issue. It was bothering people, particularly senior people, very personally. So I had this whole agenda, had to blow the thing up. And reorient to address that elephant in the room. It was not where I was going with this thing. Completely remap, change the breakout sessions, focus in on this issue. Bill was not happy with the whole thing.

Bill bore the weight of the antitrust thing very hard. Because for him, I think it also felt like a personal attack. Of course. And everybody took it personally. Bill took it even more personally because he was the face of vilification, if you will. for this, but it's a reminder that it was a cultural issue to take care of, not just a market issue.

Bill bore the weight of the antitrust thing very hard. Because for him, I think it also felt like a personal attack. Of course. And everybody took it personally. Bill took it even more personally because he was the face of vilification, if you will. for this, but it's a reminder that it was a cultural issue to take care of, not just a market issue.

And people focus in on the, oh, were you moving slowly? Yeah, there was some of that too. People say, oh, I wonder if we can do this. That was an issue. The cultural issue, I think, was even bigger. So he said, yeah, we got to get this thing resolved. And then there was the order to break us up. I forget what year that was.

And people focus in on the, oh, were you moving slowly? Yeah, there was some of that too. People say, oh, I wonder if we can do this. That was an issue. The cultural issue, I think, was even bigger. So he said, yeah, we got to get this thing resolved. And then there was the order to break us up. I forget what year that was.

You were going to run one company and Bill was going to run the other company. Yeah, we never really got to the point of really planning that through. But that's what the federal government ordered. Yeah, no, they ordered it split. They didn't say who had to run which company. I think it was just that you couldn't be at the same company.

You were going to run one company and Bill was going to run the other company. Yeah, we never really got to the point of really planning that through. But that's what the federal government ordered. Yeah, no, they ordered it split. They didn't say who had to run which company. I think it was just that you couldn't be at the same company.

So... I mean, it just gives you a sense of where each of us were associated with in the mind of the company.

So... I mean, it just gives you a sense of where each of us were associated with in the mind of the company.

I'm going to give you three reasons. Reason number one, and it's material. Bill and I always, so Bill and I, and then me and Bill, when I became CEO, we always were trying to tell people, don't get our stock price too high. Don't have too big expectations for us. We never wanted people to feel like they got cheated buying our stock.

I'm going to give you three reasons. Reason number one, and it's material. Bill and I always, so Bill and I, and then me and Bill, when I became CEO, we always were trying to tell people, don't get our stock price too high. Don't have too big expectations for us. We never wanted people to feel like they got cheated buying our stock.

Partly, probably, we're trying to lower the expectations on ourselves. I never thought of it that way. I don't think Bill did, but essentially, that was part of it. We do this financial analyst meeting every July. We always warn people, don't get too excited. That's one. As part of that whole theme, Bill never went to a quarterly analyst call, and I never went to a quarterly analyst call.

Partly, probably, we're trying to lower the expectations on ourselves. I never thought of it that way. I don't think Bill did, but essentially, that was part of it. We do this financial analyst meeting every July. We always warn people, don't get too excited. That's one. As part of that whole theme, Bill never went to a quarterly analyst call, and I never went to a quarterly analyst call.

If you really think about it, part of morale is the stock price. It is. And it took me a while to realize that, but I then never broke my pattern. It's sort of like going to the newspaper every day. You don't sell stock every day, so you really should only care what the stock price is when you sell stock. But people go every day and it's kind of like, oh, did my team win last night?

If you really think about it, part of morale is the stock price. It is. And it took me a while to realize that, but I then never broke my pattern. It's sort of like going to the newspaper every day. You don't sell stock every day, so you really should only care what the stock price is when you sell stock. But people go every day and it's kind of like, oh, did my team win last night?

It's like going to the sports section and say, how did the Clips do last night? And So talking more regularly to investors and talking with not a pie-eyed, but a realistic view, guidance, we gave no guidance. I had to fight people. They wanted to give guidance. I didn't want to give guidance. Why? Just deliver the results you get. I mean, you know, there was a bit of a Buffett style. Totally.

It's like going to the sports section and say, how did the Clips do last night? And So talking more regularly to investors and talking with not a pie-eyed, but a realistic view, guidance, we gave no guidance. I had to fight people. They wanted to give guidance. I didn't want to give guidance. Why? Just deliver the results you get. I mean, you know, there was a bit of a Buffett style. Totally.