cover of episode Microsoft Volume II

Microsoft Volume II

2024/7/22
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Chapters

Microsoft initially missed the internet wave, focusing on proprietary online services and interactive TV. A memo by James Allard alerted Bill Gates to the exponential growth of Mosaic, leading to Microsoft's embrace and extend strategy.
  • Microsoft initially pursued interactive TV and proprietary online services, missing the rise of the internet.
  • James Allard's memo alerted Microsoft to the potential of Mosaic and the internet.
  • Netscape's IPO and rapid growth signaled a shift in the tech landscape, forcing Microsoft to react.

Shownotes Transcript

In 1999, Microsoft became the most valuable company in the world. And in 2019, Microsoft became the most valuable company in the world, again. But… what happened in the twenty years in between? The answer, as we discovered in our research, is probably not what you think.

In this episode we explore and analyze the browser wars and the DOJ case, Windows XP through 8, Surface, Xbox, search, Yahoo!, Bing, the iPhone, Nokia, mobile, social, Facebook… and oh yeah, a little thing called Azure and the enterprise — which ended up becoming so big that no failures mattered. Tune in for Microsoft, Volume II.

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