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An internal team 'hoodwinked' Bill Gates into launching the Xbox project

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Re: An internal team 'hoodwinked' Bill Gates into launching the Xbox project

#111

Post by oblio »

gavanwilhite wrote: post #110
avalys wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's because "character flaws" on a personal level are often required to achieve exceptional results. Not sufficient. But often required. If Jobs were a quiet, contemplative, respectful person who was careful to keep track of where he heard what idea and assign credit where credit was due - it's unlikely we'd have Apple. That's just a different personality type.

I believe this is the wrong way to think about this. Character flaws are often associated with certain effective traits, but are not chained to them. In your example, one can be vocal, biased-twoards-action, and low-bullshit, while also giving credit where credit is due. I think it’s far from obvious that Jobs would have been a less effective leader if he had addressed his character shortcomings. I similarly feel the…

The sad thing is, they don't need that personal growth. Their luck or other character traits made/make them successful, they're rich and quite powerful, attractive to women, etc.

So they'll never do what you're saying. For an extreme example, look at Trump. In Romanian we have a saying: "the only thing that will straighten a hunchback's back is the coffin".

Re: An internal team 'hoodwinked' Bill Gates into launching the Xbox project

#112

Post by volgar1x »

naikrovek wrote: post #93
grababner wrote: post #74

'He tells us: "Eventually somebody would come back to you with your idea – they would say, 'Hey, you know, this doesn't need Windows at all'. And you have to control your urge to fucking kill them, because you've been telling them that for two years and now they finally come up with it like it's their idea. But that's the Jedi mind trick." ' OMG. I learned this a few years ago working in a corp environment with stubb…

> Sounds strange I know. There is nothing strange about that, unfortunately. It's just how people work. Things like this are also why I sincerely hope that humanity eventually dies off and is replaced by literally any species, natural or artificial, that bases decisions on logic and facts. There is no such thing as a meritocracy when humans are involved, no matter how much we delude ourselves to believe otherwise.

It is time to take some vacations pal.

Re: An internal team 'hoodwinked' Bill Gates into launching the Xbox project

#113

Post by vagrantJin »

oblio wrote: post #111
gavanwilhite wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe this is the wrong way to think about this. Character flaws are often associated with certain effective traits, but are not chained to them. In your example, one can be vocal, biased-twoards-action, and low-bullshit, while also giving credit where credit is due. I think it’s far from obvious that Jobs would have been a less effective leader if he had addressed his character shortcomings. I similarly feel the…

The sad thing is, they don't need that personal growth. Their luck or other character traits made/make them successful, they're rich and quite powerful, attractive to women, etc. So they'll never do what you're saying. For an extreme example, look at Trump. In Romanian we have a saying: "the only thing that will straighten a hunchback's back is the coffin".

> "the only thing that will straighten a hunchback's back is the coffin".

Thats so cold.

Do Romanians generally call a spade, a spade?

Re: An internal team 'hoodwinked' Bill Gates into launching the Xbox project

#114

Post by Razengan »

oblio wrote: post #111
gavanwilhite wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe this is the wrong way to think about this. Character flaws are often associated with certain effective traits, but are not chained to them. In your example, one can be vocal, biased-twoards-action, and low-bullshit, while also giving credit where credit is due. I think it’s far from obvious that Jobs would have been a less effective leader if he had addressed his character shortcomings. I similarly feel the…

The sad thing is, they don't need that personal growth. Their luck or other character traits made/make them successful, they're rich and quite powerful, attractive to women, etc. So they'll never do what you're saying. For an extreme example, look at Trump. In Romanian we have a saying: "the only thing that will straighten a hunchback's back is the coffin".

Or some corrective surgery.

Voluntary or otherwise

Re: An internal team 'hoodwinked' Bill Gates into launching the Xbox project

#115

Post by fulafel »

bennysonething wrote: post #100

"world's most reviled software" Right, yeah, people hated Microsoft's software so much that they bought it by the bucket load. Also that comment about midway being problematic. Why is it problematic!? Did WW2 not happen? Who'd actually be offended?

The secret to MS success was that they realised their main customers weren't the end users, but corporate IT and ISVs.

Re: An internal team 'hoodwinked' Bill Gates into launching the Xbox project

#116

Post by TheOtherHobbes »

aparsons wrote: post #81
abvdasker wrote: post #2

> "There was a meeting in a small conference room with Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. And Steve never, I don't think, ever thought it was a good idea. There's a story I've told where I was standing in line in the cafeteria with Kevin, and Steve Ballmer snuck up behind us and yelled in my ear, making me throw my food: 'YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE ALL OUR MONEY!'” Steve Ballmer might be the funniest dude ever to run a tech com…

Steve hated it. Bill hated what it turned out to be by 1999 (I left around then). Dave Cutler hated it. Eric Engstrom saw it more as a defensive strategy. Microsoft poured an incredible amount of talent and resources that would have gone towards the Web into Xbox.

Considering what MS did to the web with the resources that were left over, it's possible the web had a lucky escape.

Meanwhile Xbox has been a product driver - a big mostly positive influence on Windows gaming and on other platforms.

Re: An internal team 'hoodwinked' Bill Gates into launching the Xbox project

#117

Post by TheOtherHobbes »

redler wrote: post #53
flavmartins wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it doesn’t. You like the pay but hate the person. Many of us have been there before. You eventually get fed up and have to move on.

If the money is exceptional, the longer you stick it out, the more freedom you have to leave at a time of your choosing to pursue your next adventure.

And the more emotional and mental scars you'll have. And the more time you'll need to wait patiently for them to heal.

Re: An internal team 'hoodwinked' Bill Gates into launching the Xbox project

#118

Post by ArloL »

oblio wrote: post #111
gavanwilhite wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe this is the wrong way to think about this. Character flaws are often associated with certain effective traits, but are not chained to them. In your example, one can be vocal, biased-twoards-action, and low-bullshit, while also giving credit where credit is due. I think it’s far from obvious that Jobs would have been a less effective leader if he had addressed his character shortcomings. I similarly feel the…

The sad thing is, they don't need that personal growth. Their luck or other character traits made/make them successful, they're rich and quite powerful, attractive to women, etc. So they'll never do what you're saying. For an extreme example, look at Trump. In Romanian we have a saying: "the only thing that will straighten a hunchback's back is the coffin".

This has been on my mind a lot lately.

IMHO personal growth of the founders/leaders is correlated with long-term success. A healthy organization should be able to adapt to changes in the market. The same is true for a healthy individual. And more importantly as leader(s) of an organization - because you must lead by example. E.g. if you have a healthy way to keep your ego in check or be aware of your flaws you will be able to notice issues in organizational structures; if you're willing to change when presented with new information so will the organization; if you micromanage everything you've fixed the speed of adaptation to your own - can be good - can be bad; if you need validation you will surround yourself with people that validate you no matter what; if you twist your reality so that you're always on top those lies will seep into the culture.

It's kind of like Conway's law but more like organizations design structures (communication, hierarchies, etc.) which mirror their leaders identity/character/personality/soul...

Re: An internal team 'hoodwinked' Bill Gates into launching the Xbox project

#119

Post by oblio »

Razengan wrote: post #114
oblio wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The sad thing is, they don't need that personal growth. Their luck or other character traits made/make them successful, they're rich and quite powerful, attractive to women, etc. So they'll never do what you're saying. For an extreme example, look at Trump. In Romanian we have a saying: "the only thing that will straighten a hunchback's back is the coffin".

Or some corrective surgery. Voluntary or otherwise

As you image, it's an old proverb, I'm quite sure it predates modern medicine.

Re: An internal team 'hoodwinked' Bill Gates into launching the Xbox project

#120

Post by oblio »

vagrantJin wrote: post #113
oblio wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The sad thing is, they don't need that personal growth. Their luck or other character traits made/make them successful, they're rich and quite powerful, attractive to women, etc. So they'll never do what you're saying. For an extreme example, look at Trump. In Romanian we have a saying: "the only thing that will straighten a hunchback's back is the coffin".

> "the only thing that will straighten a hunchback's back is the coffin". Thats so cold. Do Romanians generally call a spade, a spade?

A lot of our proverbs involve death, bodily harm and such. Not much beating around the bush over here :-))
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