Steve Ballmer

He said it basically came down to Seattle or Silicon Valley. And in Silicon Valley, it's hard to keep secrets because there's a rumor mill. And in Seattle, we can be a little bit more removed and we can announce things when we want to announce them. And two, in Silicon Valley, people switch around companies. I don't want that. I want people to just work at Microsoft.

There was a disadvantage to not being able to recruit from your competitors, but... For a while, they were really the only game in town in Seattle.

There was a disadvantage to not being able to recruit from your competitors, but... For a while, they were really the only game in town in Seattle.

Oh, and then Bill, of course, reinvested in that flywheel, donating tons of money to the university. I mean, there's buildings, there's whole new schools.

Oh, and then Bill, of course, reinvested in that flywheel, donating tons of money to the university. I mean, there's buildings, there's whole new schools.

But unlike other top computer science programs, it's a state school, so it just has huge volumes. I think more students come out of the University of Washington and go to big tech than any other program in the country. That has stayed this amazing advantage.

But unlike other top computer science programs, it's a state school, so it just has huge volumes. I think more students come out of the University of Washington and go to big tech than any other program in the country. That has stayed this amazing advantage.

It's crazy. You have this absolute behemoth partnering with someone that's not really relevant. And if you're standing here today, it sounds like I'm talking about Microsoft partnering with IBM. But at the time, it was IBM partnering with Microsoft.

It's crazy. You have this absolute behemoth partnering with someone that's not really relevant. And if you're standing here today, it sounds like I'm talking about Microsoft partnering with IBM. But at the time, it was IBM partnering with Microsoft.

It was the only computer company that mattered in the entire world, got themselves into a particular situation where they came to Microsoft looking for help. It's the craziest set of events that made this possible. I can't wait to dive into it.

It was the only computer company that mattered in the entire world, got themselves into a particular situation where they came to Microsoft looking for help. It's the craziest set of events that made this possible. I can't wait to dive into it.

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Simply turn it on and it all works.

Simply turn it on and it all works.

Yes. David, are you going to attribute that quote or are you going to leave listeners just hanging?

Yes. David, are you going to attribute that quote or are you going to leave listeners just hanging?

Yes, and it's hard to imagine a better person to get their perspective on what IBM meant to the world at this point in time, because 1980 was also the year that Steve joined Microsoft. So literally at the same time in 1980, you've got the management team coming together with Steve and Bill and Paul Allen, and you've got the IBM thing going on, and you've got them moving to Seattle.

Yes, and it's hard to imagine a better person to get their perspective on what IBM meant to the world at this point in time, because 1980 was also the year that Steve joined Microsoft. So literally at the same time in 1980, you've got the management team coming together with Steve and Bill and Paul Allen, and you've got the IBM thing going on, and you've got them moving to Seattle.

And we haven't even talked about Charles Simone yet, but this was the year he joined.