Probabil cea mai realista analiza despre retragerea lui Ballmer*

What really causes a company to fail is disruption. The business model around which all products, customers and priorities are built; the culture, the skills and “DNA” of the company; is vulnerable. This vulnerability is why companies have considerably shorter lifespans than the people who work there. They are one of the most fragile of organisms: high infant mortality, with short, unpredictable lives.

Microsoft ascended because it disrupted an incumbent (or two) and is descending because it’s being disrupted by an entrant (or two). The Innovator’s Dilemma is very clear on the causes of failure: To succeed with a new business model, Microsoft would have had to destroy (by competition) its core business. Doing that would, of course, have gotten Ballmer fired even faster.

Steve Ballmer’s only failing was delivering sustaining growth (from $20 to over $70 billion in sales.) He did exactly what all managers are incentivized to do and avoided all the wasteful cannibalization for which they are punished.

Steve Ballmer will not be remembered as favorably as the man who created Microsoft. But at least he won’t be remembered as the fool who killed it. That epitaph is reserved for his successor.

E diferenta dintre a spune, „da, trebuie sa facem/sa fim in search/mobile” si „da, trebuie sa facem seach/mobile, punem cei mai buni oameni din companie/piata sa se ocupe de asta si le dam toate resursele de care au nevoie chiar daca afectam produsele care acum genereaza profitul”.

Altfel, as spune ca azi Microsoft pare ca se afla intr-o pozitie ceva mai buna decat Apple, dpdv al felului mai echilibrat in care si-a diversificat produsele/sursele de venit/zone de crestere, dar mult in urma Google (Microsoft opereaza pe cateva piete, Business division/Servers/chiar si Windows unde concurenta musca mai greu/deloc/ (sau piata scade mai greu) si intr-un ritm mai lent decat musca Android-ul/Samsung/restul din pietele iPhone/iPad, asta in timp ce Google nu are nici un fel de competitor pe zona de search/advertising si isi imparte mobile-ul/tableta cu Apple/Samsung chiar daca nu castiga direct). Mai pe scurt, daca nici una din companii nu schimba nimic, Microsoft cred ca ar avea parte de o „moarte” mai lenta decat ar putea avea parte Apple.

De aici Steve Ballmer and The Innovator’s Curse

* – probabil cea mai realista citita de mine, pana acum.