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Reflections on My Career at Microsoft

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Re: Reflections on My Career at Microsoft

#51

Post by zarro »

jarjoura wrote: post #11

I'm not so sure the problem with Microsoft was its toxic culture. So many of the key points in that article you could say ring true of Apple. Steve Jobs relished in the fact that people feared him. He literally built an entire company of yes men, right down to the chefs in the kitchen. It meant, when his strategy was right, the company did well. However, when it was wrong, it also hurt the whole company. Tim Cook is…

Your angry because you think that he fires those that are unwilling to play along with what he thinks is "right", and you think the solution is to "Fire those unwilling to play along" with what you think is "right".

If you don't see the irony in that your an idiot.

Re: Reflections on My Career at Microsoft

#52

Post by skizm »

I see all of these things as reasons to invest in Microsoft long term. As the author states: "Microsoft is killing it. Revenue is up. Stock is up. Industry stature is up. The places where Microsoft finds itself thriving all have one thing in common: key made-men were pushed aside for better people."

The fact that there are so many terrible managers still hanging around is like sludge in a jet engine. Once cleaned out (and that seems the direction they're moving), the company will hopefully skyrocket even further.

Re: Reflections on My Career at Microsoft

#54

Post by singingboyo »

bcrosby95 wrote: post #44
Baeocystin wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've felt this about Microsoft hardware, for what it's worth. I really like their mice, keyboards, and the Surface line.

Yeah, the Surface line was the first time since the original iPhone that I was actually excited about a piece of hardware.

Surface book was just the first time ever for me. (Original iPhone was before I cared)

The original Surface Pro was decent, but generally slow and bulky. The first Surface Book, on the other hand, is still a great, versatile piece of hardware several years later.

Of course, YMMV - a tablet alone doesn't cover everything for me, but for some people needing a keyboard/base for connections may not work out.

Re: Reflections on My Career at Microsoft

#55

Post by anon1m0us »

cbanek wrote: post #4

As a woman who worked at MSFT through the Ballmer era, I have to agree with this whole article. It really nailed it. Especially this part near the end where I never felt it would get better: "But my former female colleagues who reviewed this document in advance of its publication are unconvinced. None of them report feeling emboldened by the new Microsoft. They continue to withhold reports of discriminatory managemen…

How do you get your employer to hear you? I don't think these problems are isolated to women. I think women just don't understand that there's an "old boys club" that attacks other men too. I know lots of men who say the same things.

Pitting employees against each other. The masters recruiting spies from among the ranks to report dissenting comments from the servants. Cutting back on coffee breaks. Not being allowed to report actual time worked because you're an exempt employee so your boss can say, "I'm not aware of any overtime being worked." Uh that's because you won't allow me to enter more than the minimum.

This happens to more than just women. Instead of pitting one bullied group against another, bullied people need to rise up against a system that rewards bullies at the expense of the employees with integrity!

Companies are losing SO much value from their greatest employees because they are afraid to be noticed. You do something great for your employer and everyone else says, "Show off." or "You're making the rest of us look bad." or "Overachiever".

They force great employees to be mediocre. Even managers do the same thing. If you find a problem with your boss's code -- watch out!

This is not a problem women experience. It's a problem people experience.

Re: Reflections on My Career at Microsoft

#56

Post by [deleted] »

muststopmyths wrote: post #48

I worked at Microsoft during the Gates/Ballmer era and my recollection is that the culture was toxic and definitely needed to change. But AFAIK this was a common thing about companies even in SV at the time. I knew contemporaries at companies like Cisco and SGI who complained about exactly the same sort of behavior (Know-it-all assholes who would berate anyone they thought was inferior, self above company, etc.). Int…

[deleted]

Re: Reflections on My Career at Microsoft

#57

Post by [deleted] »

jagged-chisel wrote: post #16
gwbas1c wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Fire those unwilling to play along and grow a culture of collaboration Gosh that sounds like an oxymoron

> Grow a culture of collaboration by firing those unwilling to play along I can see a misreading of the original. This is my understanding.

[deleted]

Re: Reflections on My Career at Microsoft

#58

Post by martin1b »

username90 wrote: post #19
didibus wrote: post #13

> At its core, Microsoft is a company that makes its money the old fashioned way: by creating products of value that people willingly part with their money to use. Call me skeptical, but there's not a whole lot of products I willfully pay Microsoft for. Most of them I pay for with a strong feeling of resentment that I have simply no other choice, since there are no competitors to the market or the lock in is too stro…

Good point, I have never once felt "Wow, a new Microsoft product, can't wait to buy it!". Instead it is usually more like "Oh shit, a new Mirosoft product, I hope I wont be forced to buy it to stay compatible".

Apparently you've never used Visual Studio. It is amazing.

Many of Microsoft's products are simple and boring at first glance. However, when you really want to flex it to do something powerful, the features are usually there. Their products have so many years of development in them and it shows because their products stand the test of time, particularly in the enterprise. I'm glad there are lot of other vendors entering the market though as it keeps companies like MSFT innovating.

Re: Reflections on My Career at Microsoft

#59

Post by mieseratte »

anon1m0us wrote: post #55
cbanek wrote: post #4

As a woman who worked at MSFT through the Ballmer era, I have to agree with this whole article. It really nailed it. Especially this part near the end where I never felt it would get better: "But my former female colleagues who reviewed this document in advance of its publication are unconvinced. None of them report feeling emboldened by the new Microsoft. They continue to withhold reports of discriminatory managemen…

How do you get your employer to hear you? I don't think these problems are isolated to women. I think women just don't understand that there's an "old boys club" that attacks other men too. I know lots of men who say the same things. Pitting employees against each other. The masters recruiting spies from among the ranks to report dissenting comments from the servants. Cutting back on coffee breaks. Not being allowed…

> How do you get your employer to hear you? I don't think these problems are isolated to women. I think women just don't understand that there's an "old boys club" that attacks other men too. I know lots of men who say the same things.

If anyone thinks this is a problem exclusive to men, conservatives, or whatever group it's en vogue to pillory they're flat-out ignorant.

I've seen women in power be utterly despicable to their fellow woman. I've seen #woke managers belittle the pious.

The real test of character is, when discussing these issues, do you assume immutable aspects are to blame or do you consider alternative realities.

Maybe "those people" are bad for being "those people," maybe they just suck.

Edit: The no comment downvote brigade is here, go ahead and flag me too.

While you're at it, leave a comment telling me you're downvoting me because I said something about it.

Re: Reflections on My Career at Microsoft

#60

Post by pm90 »

anon1m0us wrote: post #55
cbanek wrote: post #4

As a woman who worked at MSFT through the Ballmer era, I have to agree with this whole article. It really nailed it. Especially this part near the end where I never felt it would get better: "But my former female colleagues who reviewed this document in advance of its publication are unconvinced. None of them report feeling emboldened by the new Microsoft. They continue to withhold reports of discriminatory managemen…

How do you get your employer to hear you? I don't think these problems are isolated to women. I think women just don't understand that there's an "old boys club" that attacks other men too. I know lots of men who say the same things. Pitting employees against each other. The masters recruiting spies from among the ranks to report dissenting comments from the servants. Cutting back on coffee breaks. Not being allowed…

I'm sorry but you are just wrong.

We can't go on our individual experience, the only way to understand women's perspective is to listen to what they're saying and how they're treated. The past few years has made it pretty clear (although there were certainly reports even before then) that women have faced, and continue to face abuse and discrimination to a degree that men don't.

What you're saying sounds to me like the "All lives matter!" response to the "Black lives matter" movement.

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