At Microsoft there are lots of brilliant ideas but the image is that they all come from the top – I’m afraid that’s not quite right.
Don’t compare yourself with anyone in this world. If you do so, you are insulting yourself.
As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.
It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.
If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Leaders are those who empower others.
We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.
I hope someday what people can do with their lives depends on their talents and how hard they are willing to work, rather than on where they happen to be born.
Bringing together the right information with the right people will dramatically improve a company’s ability to develop and act on strategic business opportunities.
When making choices, or setting policies about the economy, education or medicine, society is best served by electing people who are particularly hardworking, intelligent and interested in long-term thinking.
My grade point average went from a 2.2 to a 4.0 over the summer. I wanted to get straight A’s. I decided to get straight A’s. I didn’t want people to think I was dumb. And when you get straight A’s once, its easier.
If you want to build a great company, get the hell out of Silicon Valley.
Ridiculous sums of money can be confusing.
My parents are very successful, and I went to the nicest private school in the Seattle area. I was lucky. But I never had any trust funds of any kind, though my dad did pay my tuition at Harvard, which was quite expensive.
I don’t think you’re as capable of handling lack of sleep or whatever challenges you throw at your body as you get older. However, I never missed a day of work.
In some ways, if you make mistakes with your own money, you don’t feel as bad about it as if it was someone else’s.
Microsoft has had many, many successful products. I’m committed to one company. This is the industry I’ve decided to work in.
When I was young I liked taking tests. I happened to be good at it. Certain subjects came easily, like math. All the science stuff. I would just read the textbooks in the first few days of class.
I don’t think I would have spent time learning about the immune system if understanding vaccines weren’t something I considered very important.
I think that our progress on key diseases over the next several decades is going to be pretty amazing and so I am very interested in that.
You don’t have to own a TV network to go out and do a cool show.