Latest news with #Acquired
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
How Steve Ballmer may have just agreed with Android co-founder for Bill Gates being responsible for Microsoft losing $400 billion-plus in smartphone war
Steve Ballmer , former CEO of Microsoft recently admitted how overconfidence in Windows prevented the software giant from capitalizing on the smartphone market. Speaking on the Acquired podcast, Ballmer said, 'We were too confident,' as he reflected on Microsoft's past strategy of pushing Windows into markets where it didn't fit, instead of building solutions tailored to specific platforms. His remarks echoes with Android co-founder Rich Miner who – earlier this year – attributed Microsoft's loss of smartphone wars to Android to Bill Gates 's decision. In an X post in January, Miner wrote 'I literally helped create Android to prevent Microsoft from controlling the phone the way they did the PC - stifling innovation. So it's always funny for me to hear Gates whine about losing mobile to Android'. 'I helped Orange launch the first Windows Mobile phone in 2002, the SPV. I worried MSFT might end up controlling mobile like they did the PC, I wanted something more open. So, sorry Bill, you're more responsible for losing the $400B than you realize,' he then stated. What Steve Ballmer said on Microsoft losing the smartphone war Stating that the company was 'too confident', Ballmer admitted on the podcast: '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.' He pointed to Windows Mobile and automotive applications as key examples, where Microsoft's push to use Windows APIs and interfaces led to forced and unnatural user experiences. During the podcast, Ballmer revealed that Microsoft's strategy was driven by a mix of 'paranoia and confidence' in Windows, which the company saw as its 'birthright' and 'permission to enter' new markets. This mindset influenced its push into areas like media center applications and TV integration, where simplified versions of Windows struggled to match the performance and user experience of purpose-built solutions. OnePlus Pad 3 Unboxing and first look: What's in the box? AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Ex-CEO Steve Ballmer on why letting go of Microsoft was the best thing he ever did
Steve Ballmer Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said emotionally detaching from the tech giant after stepping down in 2014 was the best decision he made, even though the process took nearly a year and almost led him to sell all his company stock . Speaking on the "Acquired" podcast Monday, Ballmer revealed he was "too emotionally attached" to Microsoft after three decades with the company, including 14 years as CEO. He initially stayed heavily involved as an investor, reading everything and attending conferences, but realized he couldn't control operations anymore. "It was my baby," said Ballmer, who replaced co-founder Bill Gates as CEO in 2000. "I was there so early, and I hired basically everybody." Nearly sold everything to achieve emotional distance The emotional attachment became so intense that Ballmer considered selling his entire Microsoft stake to achieve complete detachment. As he and his wife Connie Snyder ramped up their philanthropy work, he felt the need to distance himself further from the company. "It was nothing to do with money," Ballmer explained. "My only thought process was emotional detachment ." However, a former Microsoft colleague in finance stopped him just before he could sell, telling him the stock would be worth much more. Ballmer decided his "loyalty trumps emotional attachment" and kept his shares. Now Ballmer says he's found the right balance, remaining loyal to Microsoft while staying emotionally detached enough to avoid obsessing over stock performance. The approach has given him peace of mind as he focuses on philanthropy, knowing their foundation will thrive regardless of Microsoft's daily fluctuations. Ballmer, famous for his energetic "Developers! Developers! Developers!" chant, admitted he was initially "kind of a dick" at shareholder meetings before learning to step back. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ex-CEO Steve Ballmer says letting go of Microsoft was the best thing he did after stepping down — even if it took a year
Steve Ballmer said letting go of Microsoft emotionally took a year but was the right move. He nearly sold all his Microsoft stocks to detach, but stayed loyal after a colleague's advice. Ballmer said he's now found balance — loyal, detached, and focused on philanthropy. Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said the best move he made after stepping down from the tech giant in 2014 was emotionally detaching from the company — though he admits it wasn't easy and took nearly a year to fully let go. In an interview on the "Acquired" podcast published Monday, Ballmer opened up about the emotional challenge of walking away from the company he helped build over three decades. "It was my baby," said Balmer, who replaced cofounder Bill Gates as CEO in 2000 and led the company until 2014. "I was there so early, and I hired basically everybody." Ballmer, known for his now-iconic, sweat-drenched "Developers! Developers! Developers!" chant at an early 2000s conference, said he initially tried to stay involved, not operationally but as an ultra-engaged investor. He said he read everything, attended conferences and even went to a shareholder meeting where, by his own account, he was "kind of a dick." "I was too emotionally attached," he said. "You can't control anything anymore, so it's hard. You don't want to stay quite that emotionally attached because it's like, 'Oh, I got to get back in and fix everything.'" Over the next year, Ballmer said he slowly worked on letting go. But his emotional attachment deepened when he and his wife, philanthropist Connie Snyder, began ramping up their philanthropy, eventually prompting him to consider selling all his Microsoft stocks. "It was nothing to do with money," he said. "My only thought process was emotional detachment." But just before he could hit the sell button, he said a former Microsoft colleague working with him in finance stopped him. "She said, 'You can't sell. This is going to be worth a lot more'," he said. "And I said, 'Look, my loyalty trumps my emotional attachment," and he held on to his stocks. Now, Ballmer said he's found balance. "I'm just going to be loyal and emotionally detached enough for this to be okay," he said. He said he no longer obsesses over the stock's highs or lows and has peace of mind knowing the foundation his wife and he built is thriving regardless. Read the original article on Business Insider Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Ex-CEO Steve Ballmer says letting go of Microsoft was the best thing he did after stepping down — even if it took a year
In an interview on the "Acquired" podcast published Monday, Ballmer opened up about the emotional challenge of walking away from the company he helped build over three decades. "It was my baby," said Balmer, who replaced cofounder Bill Gates as CEO in 2000 and led the company until 2014. "I was there so early, and I hired basically everybody." Ballmer, known for his now-iconic, sweat-drenched "Developers! Developers! Developers!" chant at an early 2000s conference, said he initially tried to stay involved, not operationally but as an ultra-engaged investor. He said he read everything, attended conferences and even went to a shareholder meeting where, by his own account, he was "kind of a dick." "I was too emotionally attached," he said. "You can't control anything anymore, so it's hard. You don't want to stay quite that emotionally attached because it's like, 'Oh, I got to get back in and fix everything.'" Over the next year, Ballmer said he slowly worked on letting go. But his emotional attachment deepened when he and his wife, philanthropist ConnieSnyder, began ramping up their philanthropy, eventually prompting him to consider selling all his Microsoft stocks. "It was nothing to do with money," he said. "My only thought process was emotional detachment." But just before he could hit the sell button, he said a former Microsoft colleague working with him in finance stopped him. "She said, 'You can't sell. This is going to be worth a lot more'," he said. "And I said, 'Look, my loyalty trumps my emotional attachment," and he held on to his stocks. Now, Ballmer said he's found balance. "I'm just going to be loyal and emotionally detached enough for this to be okay," he said.
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Ex-CEO Steve Ballmer says letting go of Microsoft was the best thing he did after stepping down — even if it took a year
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said the best move he made after stepping down from the tech giant in 2014 was emotionally detaching from the company — though he admits it wasn't easy and took nearly a year to fully let go. In an interview on the "Acquired" podcast published Monday, Ballmer opened up about the emotional challenge of walking away from the company he helped build over three decades. "It was my baby," said Balmer, who replaced cofounder Bill Gates as CEO in 2000 and led the company until 2014. "I was there so early, and I hired basically everybody." Ballmer, known for his now-iconic, sweat-drenched "Developers! Developers! Developers!" chant at an early 2000s conference, said he initially tried to stay involved, not operationally but as an ultra-engaged investor. He said he read everything, attended conferences and even went to a shareholder meeting where, by his own account, he was "kind of a dick." "I was too emotionally attached," he said. "You can't control anything anymore, so it's hard. You don't want to stay quite that emotionally attached because it's like, 'Oh, I got to get back in and fix everything.'" Over the next year, Ballmer said he slowly worked on letting go. But his emotional attachment deepened when he and his wife, philanthropist Connie Snyder, began ramping up their philanthropy, eventually prompting him to consider selling all his Microsoft stocks. "It was nothing to do with money," he said. "My only thought process was emotional detachment." But just before he could hit the sell button, he said a former Microsoft colleague working with him in finance stopped him. "She said, 'You can't sell. This is going to be worth a lot more'," he said. "And I said, 'Look, my loyalty trumps my emotional attachment," and he held on to his stocks. Now, Ballmer said he's found balance. "I'm just going to be loyal and emotionally detached enough for this to be okay," he said. He said he no longer obsesses over the stock's highs or lows and has peace of mind knowing the foundation his wife and he built is thriving regardless.
