01 / uncertainty
I think the word cheerleader is actually in the PowerPoint deck.
“I think the word cheerleader is actually in the PowerPoint deck.”
- Speaker
- David Rosenthal
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
Acquired / episode intelligence
The Steve Ballmer Interview
Speakers in the public record
Claim mix
belief 23evaluation 11uncertainty 5commitment 3observation 1recommendation 1prediction 1preference 1
Evidence policy
Every row below preserves an exact excerpt. Identified speakers are linked; unresolved voices are labeled and excluded from people counts.
Claim ledger
The useful parts, with receipts.
46 published records
02 / observation
You have products that appeal to consumers that IT can handle, and a platform that lets developers build around those and based around those, whether they’re building for users, users and IT, or in some instances just for IT people, because there are a lot of tools that are just for IT people.
“You have products that appeal to consumers that IT can handle, and a platform that lets developers build around those and based around those, whether they’re building for users, users and IT, or in some instances just for IT people, because there are a lot of tools that are just for IT people.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
03 / belief
I think you called it to us, and when we were talking to you for research, the sun, the moon, and the stars.
“I think you called it to us, and when we were talking to you for research, the sun, the moon, and the stars.”
- Speaker
- David Rosenthal
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
04 / commitment
Listeners, if you want to know every time an episode drops, check out our email list. It’s the only place where we will share a hint of what our next episode will be.
“Listeners, if you want to know every time an episode drops, check out our email list. It’s the only place where we will share a hint of what our next episode will be.”
- Speaker
- Ben Gilbert
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
05 / recommendation
Likes Satya.
“It’s what it told me about Satya. I love Satya. We were giving him more and more responsibilities anyway.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
06 / uncertainty
You can just sit there and watch our players and say, oh, I don’t know everything.
“You can just sit there and watch our players and say, oh, I don’t know everything.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
07 / evaluation
I was a CEO, Bill’s got to take a lot of accountability. It was the mistake of mistakes.
“I was a CEO, Bill’s got to take a lot of accountability. It was the mistake of mistakes.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
08 / belief
I learned some things that would’ve been very helpful for me to understand at Microsoft.
“I learned some things that would’ve been very helpful for me to understand at Microsoft.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
09 / commitment
Now, that I do not own the financial purposes. And I will also tell you, unlike Microsoft, it cannot go to zero.
“Now, that I do not own the financial purposes. And I will also tell you, unlike Microsoft, it cannot go to zero.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
10 / evaluation
Satya’s been great at managing product development, that’s for sure, but Qi’s digging the bits and bytes kind of thing. But the meeting is the thing that was important.
“Satya’s been great at managing product development, that’s for sure, but Qi’s digging the bits and bytes kind of thing. But the meeting is the thing that was important.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
11 / belief
Qi (I think) went to graduate school with Harry Shum, who had been in Microsoft Research.
“Qi (I think) went to graduate school with Harry Shum, who had been in Microsoft Research.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
12 / uncertainty
The Google guys I imagine are concentrated, but I don’t know that, I can’t speak for anybody else.
“The Google guys I imagine are concentrated, but I don’t know that, I can’t speak for anybody else.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
13 / belief
Exactly. I think back to the old HP, I’m okay, you’re okay. Let’s all be nice to each other.
“Exactly. I think back to the old HP, I’m okay, you’re okay. Let’s all be nice to each other.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
14 / belief
I think I might be. Other than index funds, the largest institutional investor too.
“I think I might be. Other than index funds, the largest institutional investor too.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
15 / belief
I would say no sense of confidence about controlling the ecosystem well into the 90s before I think any of that, or at least for me.
“I would say no sense of confidence about controlling the ecosystem well into the 90s before I think any of that, or at least for me.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
16 / evaluation
We didn’t want to have that intellectual property, other arguments, but there were people then, that was important.
“We didn’t want to have that intellectual property, other arguments, but there were people then, that was important.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
17 / uncertainty
I don’t know this, but I’m going to guess you would find, I don’t know about Ellison, but obviously some of the guys who own more privately-held businesses pretty concentrated.
“I don’t know this, but I’m going to guess you would find, I don’t know about Ellison, but obviously some of the guys who own more privately-held businesses pretty concentrated.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
18 / uncertainty
I said, no, Charlie, but I’m not loyal. I don’t know why Paul and Bill didn’t hang on.
“I said, no, Charlie, but I’m not loyal. I don’t know why Paul and Bill didn’t hang on.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
19 / belief
Really, I would say we—few other companies, but I would say we—defined what a modern software business looked like.
“Really, I would say we—few other companies, but I would say we—defined what a modern software business looked like.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
20 / belief
I think we got caught in thinking it’s all about third-parties and not also about our first-party apps.
“I think we got caught in thinking it’s all about third-parties and not also about our first-party apps.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
21 / belief
The problem is if you left the areas of productivity and gaming, I think the answer was no.
“The problem is if you left the areas of productivity and gaming, I think the answer was no.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
22 / belief
Energizer, Energizer. I think Energizer could have been Bill’s idea, not mine. Pretty sure it was Bill’s idea, not mine.
“Energizer, Energizer. I think Energizer could have been Bill’s idea, not mine. Pretty sure it was Bill’s idea, not mine.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
23 / belief
I think he played maybe three even in college. But anyway, so I get Cutler, and there’s a guy working in MSR who I think is underutilized too.
“I think he played maybe three even in college. But anyway, so I get Cutler, and there’s a guy working in MSR who I think is underutilized too.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
24 / belief
Then you have to choose to get in. I would say two things were true at the time for us.
“Then you have to choose to get in. I would say two things were true at the time for us.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
25 / belief
You couldn’t speak to more than 640K of memory. We didn’t break the 640K barrier until (I think) Windows 3.
“You couldn’t speak to more than 640K of memory. We didn’t break the 640K barrier until (I think) Windows 3.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
26 / belief
By 2005, I don’t think so. Not later on, I think so. But not by 2005. I would suspect not.
“By 2005, I don’t think so. Not later on, I think so. But not by 2005. I would suspect not.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
27 / belief
I don’t think that was a good mindset by the time I took over, and yet it was still baked in with Bill, baked in with me, and I think that was a mistake not focusing.
“I don’t think that was a good mindset by the time I took over, and yet it was still baked in with Bill, baked in with me, and I think that was a mistake not focusing.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
28 / evaluation
I’m not sure Cutler would’ve gone to work on it if it was all server tools. But it was the right thing to do even though it was “part of the future of server.
“I’m not sure Cutler would’ve gone to work on it if it was all server tools. But it was the right thing to do even though it was “part of the future of server.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
29 / belief
We transition then from stock options to stock awards, which if you notice, I think we were the first to make that as a major transition, but everybody’s made the same transition with the exception of a few senior executives, options are not the primary form of compensation.
“We transition then from stock options to stock awards, which if you notice, I think we were the first to make that as a major transition, but everybody’s made the same transition with the exception of a few senior executives, options are not the primary form of compensation.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
30 / belief
I think of this as a time to reflect on things I’ve learned primarily at Microsoft, but also the Clippers about business.
“I think of this as a time to reflect on things I’ve learned primarily at Microsoft, but also the Clippers about business.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
31 / belief
We were trying to get our browser to be a platform, embrace and extend I think is what we said.
“We were trying to get our browser to be a platform, embrace and extend I think is what we said.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
32 / belief
Whatever you want to call it. You said it’s a small trick and I think that’s probably right.
“Whatever you want to call it. You said it’s a small trick and I think that’s probably right.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
33 / belief
I could call it a half trick, or you could say it could be a trick. Look, I would say Microsoft is optimistic it’ll be a full-on trick.
“I could call it a half trick, or you could say it could be a trick. Look, I would say Microsoft is optimistic it’ll be a full-on trick.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
34 / belief
I could say run on your platform, but I’ll come to that later if you want to what a platform is and isn’t, if you want to do that. It’s interesting, I think.
“I could say run on your platform, but I’ll come to that later if you want to what a platform is and isn’t, if you want to do that. It’s interesting, I think.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
35 / belief
I think we paid $45,000 or $49,000 for this operating system, because we told IBM no, no.
“I think we paid $45,000 or $49,000 for this operating system, because we told IBM no, no.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
36 / belief
I think you might say three in revenue and probably closer to four plus, five maybe even on profit.
“I think you might say three in revenue and probably closer to four plus, five maybe even on profit.”
- Speaker
- Not verified from transcript
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
37 / evaluation
At a certain point along the way, you get to, well I want to say the holy trinity, but I think there are more than three pieces of this.
“At a certain point along the way, you get to, well I want to say the holy trinity, but I think there are more than three pieces of this.”
- Speaker
- David Rosenthal
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
38 / evaluation
Well, I think in practice it all works out the same way of, there’s one thing that is everything.
“Well, I think in practice it all works out the same way of, there’s one thing that is everything.”
- Speaker
- David Rosenthal
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
39 / prediction
Because you could make the counter argument, shoot, Google is running away with the market.
“Because you could make the counter argument, shoot, Google is running away with the market.”
- Speaker
- Ben Gilbert
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
40 / commitment
If I could paraphrase my view of it, you were willing to say, we’re going to spend whatever it takes.
“If I could paraphrase my view of it, you were willing to say, we’re going to spend whatever it takes.”
- Speaker
- Ben Gilbert
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
41 / preference
We don’t seek to have an organization full of teamwork. It’s teamwork because we want some output.
“We don’t seek to have an organization full of teamwork. It’s teamwork because we want some output.”
- Speaker
- Ben Gilbert
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
42 / evaluation
You paid for the whole arena and you’re going to have slower payback on that because you have less revenue opportunity.
“You paid for the whole arena and you’re going to have slower payback on that because you have less revenue opportunity.”
- Speaker
- Ben Gilbert
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
43 / evaluation
You’ve got a duration of your advantage because not every other team can build or remodel an arena.
“You’ve got a duration of your advantage because not every other team can build or remodel an arena.”
- Speaker
- David Rosenthal
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
44 / evaluation
I think Google was making more money off of a PC user than Microsoft was because their business model generated more search revenue.
“I think Google was making more money off of a PC user than Microsoft was because their business model generated more search revenue.”
- Speaker
- Ben Gilbert
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
45 / evaluation
I think everybody would agree it’s an enterprise company, and that’s largely thanks to you.
“I think everybody would agree it’s an enterprise company, and that’s largely thanks to you.”
- Speaker
- David Rosenthal
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired
46 / evaluation
IBM thought, oh we’ve got some protection from Microsoft, disintermediating us from all the developers and all the potential customers, because targeting our BIOS is going to be important and unreplicable.
“IBM thought, oh we’ve got some protection from Microsoft, disintermediating us from all the developers and all the potential customers, because targeting our BIOS is going to be important and unreplicable.”
- Speaker
- Ben Gilbert
- Episode
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
- Publisher
- Acquired