51–60 of 132 posts
Big mistake IMO. I can't imagine Satya "the enterprise guy" being CEO of the devices company (he's probably qualified to be CEO for the "services" part of Microsoft). I'm wondering if him and Elop would work as co-CEOs, but history shows that's not a good idea either.
He was a lead on Bing and was working on Windows earlier. That's hardly enterprise.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't think BillG would have allowed hiring someone with an MBA and no background in software/technology. He is still the majority shareholder (from what I've read) and sits on the board.
Would it have been better to hire someone from the outside with no experience in software/technology AND no MBA? Just trying to see if you (parent and g-parent) consider an MBA an overall negative signal, regardless of someone's background.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm pretty sure Microsoft is a pretty big player in Enterprise SaaS already.
They are, but that's also the market where their lock-in has least effect.
The biggest lock-ins are from Office formats, and Active Directory integration with network and communications services. Crack either of those and the bulwark starts to crumble rapidly.
Amid suspicions that Microsoft is having trouble finding the perfect person to fill this role, Satya makes sense. I've always thought of him as an incredibly talented administrator rather than a brilliant general. He's a known person within Microsoft who can be a caretaker for the organization while the hunt for a CEO who can lead the next charge can continue.
Best thing for Microsoft would be to hire an outsider who will come in with an unbiased eye and clear out the deadwood to give new growth a chance or to milk the cash cows to their inevitable conclusions. To be able to do this you need Bill and Steve and their old guard out of the way.
My personal opinion is that for Microsoft this is a much better solution than to hire an external CEO with an MBA and no background in software/technology. If the news are true then I wish all the luck to Mr. Nadella.
I don't think BillG would have allowed hiring someone with an MBA and no background in software/technology. He is still the majority shareholder (from what I've read) and sits on the board.
My personal opinion is that for Microsoft this is a much better solution than to hire an external CEO with an MBA and no background in software/technology. If the news are true then I wish all the luck to Mr. Nadella.
I don't think BillG would have allowed hiring someone with an MBA and no background in software/technology. He is still the majority shareholder (from what I've read) and sits on the board.
[1] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-30/microsoft-said-to-b...
A lot of Nokia employees are probably happy it isn't going to be Stephen Elop. I know this one is.
As a former NOKIAn I am sad. I want to see MS go down in flames and without Elop it's gonna be difficult. However Indians are also very talented at destroying the spirit of their own companies and alienating their users (see Harman or Adobe) so there is a hope...
Off topic: I might be the only one who came in here excitedly expecting to see a Female CEO of Microsoft. Kind of disappointed when I saw the picture and it's just another balding dude.
No I'm not female or a feminist, just kind of excited for drastic progressive change that I personally favor (I think more girls should be in tech, especially in leadership)
My personal opinion is that for Microsoft this is a much better solution than to hire an external CEO with an MBA and no background in software/technology. If the news are true then I wish all the luck to Mr. Nadella.
After ten years of Ballmer, what Microsoft needs now is a professional manager to sort out the mess he left. They have no shortage of great technology people; what they need is someone to bring the organization to heel behind a universal vision.
Microsoft is not on the verge of great growth or in the position anymore to build "the next big thing." That ship has sailed for them, as all the people capable of building the next big thing have been run off by the ineffective management (or never hired in the first place) and work at Google or Facebook now. Microsoft is, however, at risk of losing a significant portion of their revenue should the PC industry continue its slide and start being displaced in the enterprise.
Nadella is the best choice that is available. I still hold that the best candidate out there for the job is Mark Hurd, but he apparently wasn't interested for the same reason a lot of other outside candidates weren't interested: Microsoft has an infamously poisonous corporate culture, and everyone who worked for an outside CEO would be trying to undermine him and take his job.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Would it have been better to hire someone from the outside with no experience in software/technology AND no MBA? Just trying to see if you (parent and g-parent) consider an MBA an overall negative signal, regardless of someone's background.
Satya has an MBA too. I was just commenting on my previous comment. I guess author meant that someone just with MBA as a qualification and no relevant tech background would have been bad deal since MBAs get hired in leadership role even if they may or may not possess relevant domain knowledge.