
Here’s Why Bill Gates Would Step Down as Chairman of Microsoft - pmcpinto
http://recode.net/2014/01/31/heres-why-bill-gates-would-step-down-as-chairman-of-microsoft/
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tsotha
>In many ways, the change is still not a bad idea, because Gates has been
pretty ill-suited to the tasks of the job. I’ll say it if no one else will —
he’s a terrible schmoozer of investors, is not someone who cottons to kissing
up to Wall Street and, well, he’s still awkward around the niceties required
in such a job. (By the way, this is the part of Gates I like!)

How often does Microsoft need to go to outside investors for money? It's
obviously not in as good a position as, say, ten years ago, but the company
still makes lots of money. Over the years the big problem has been Microsoft
has been unable to find good places to spend all its extra cash.

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higherpurpose
Hiring an enterprise guy as CEO seems like an admission of defeat in the
consumer market for Microsoft to me. Yes, Ballmer wasn't a "consumer" guy
either, which is precisely why they've missed so many consumer waves already
since he's been at the helm. I don't know if they can afford another "Ballmer"
in the consumer space.

I think Nadella will do what "feels natural" to him, and will move Microsoft
"up-market" from the consumer space, which will probably become increasingly
less profitable for them, so moving "where the profits are" (i.e. not in the
consumer market) will start to make a lot of sense to them.

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ankitml
An enterprise guy cannot be a consumer guy is a big assumption. He did well
with the previous task he was assigned to - enterprise. It is not so obvious
that he will be bad for microsoft's consumer business. The two areas are not
mathematical disjoints.

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nhebb
That was a difficult article for me to follow. I kept getting sidetracked by
the feeling that it was just speculation built on speculation, and then
confirmed by speculation. Besides, even if Gates did step down, I have to
wonder how much influence he's actually had over the direction of Microsoft as
COTB. Despite being profitable, they don't seem like they have a clear
direction.

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sytelus
TL;DR: linkbait saying Gates would step down as Chairman and more involved in
to tech and design.

I don't think so. Being involved in tech/design of these products is very
consuming and Gates has made clear many times he doesn't want to work in "this
space".

My bet is Ballmer is going to get in board, likely going to fight for chairman
position and may even get it. He had given strong indication of this in
Company Meeting 2013 video that Microsoft had released.

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yulaow
I think that Ballmer in board is likely improbable. It seems to me that
microsoft is trying to "refresh" itself a bit, so putting a man of the "old
wave" into board would not be coerent with their actual mission.

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scholia
Ballmer is a member of the board of directors [http://www.microsoft.com/en-
us/news/inside_ms.aspx#BOD](http://www.microsoft.com/en-
us/news/inside_ms.aspx#BOD)

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jokoon
at least hire somebody who understand a little bit of code.

