PC World magazine’s Stephen Manes offers some parting advice for Bill Gates as he “transitions” out of Microsoft:
• Quit kidding yourself. Do some soul-searching and publicly disown the longstanding public-relations fantasy that Microsoft has something to do with “innovation.” Your business has always been about taking others’ ideas and selling them with a Microsoft badge. Period. After CP/M came DOS; after Mac came Windows; after Palm came Pocket PC; after Netscape came IE. And those are just the most obvious examples.
• Insist on quality and security. Microsoft ads say “Your potential. Our passion,” but the real motto should be “Do the Minimum.” Whenever I pick up a Microsoft product, I expect stupid or dysfunctional design. You rarely disappoint me.
• Shake up the talent. Nobody in a position of authority at Microsoft ever seems to get fired. Many should be. How many times can a product jettison features and miss deadlines before its handlers get the boot? How many security flaws can pop up before their creators walk the plank?
• Stop making crap. Software has to run, not crash, before it can fly.
Full article with more here.
So true, but Microsoft has little chance of actually executing any of Manes’ suggestions.
Related articles:
The Economist: Apple’s Steve Jobs is Bill Gates’ secret ‘Chief Software Architect’ replacement wish – June 22, 2006
Requiem for Bill Gates – June 16, 2006
Bill Gates to transition out of a day-to-day role in Microsoft – June 15, 2006