Category Archives: Directing Business

Gates minus Microsoft


Microsoft is getting ready for business as asual, without Bill Gates, who
will now spend more time with his charity organization.

Speaking of his charity act, a short story by Frederick Forsyth called
‘The Emperor’ comes to my mind. The ‘Emperor is about an aged tourist
who toils hard to catch a rare fish and then to everyone’s surprise
sets the fish free back into the sea. The whole village celebrates his feat
and the tourist in one stroke becomes an expert fisherman and decides to
make a career out of it.

May be for people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, it is the journey
that matters more than the ‘catch’. A journey completed, they move
on to another. The world is hopeful that this new journey of Bill Gates
would make a significant difference to the real world and also be less
controversial:)

Here is an excellent set of articles on Bill Gates at Fortune.com
and Forbes.com

Seagate goes ‘City Slickers’ route?

It’s what Watkins, 53, says at the start of every Eco Seagate, the annual
$2 million mother of all team-building events held at the bottom of the world.
That’s a lot to spend on what looks like a boondoggle. What does running
around the southern Alps have to do with engineering? Nothing, actually,
and that’s the point. The glaciers of New Zealand’s South Island form an
environment completely unfamiliar to the average tech worker. It’s expansive,
glorious, and awe-inspiring, but it’s also uncertain and intimidating, making
everyone feel off balance. Of course Watkins isn’t trying to kill his charges.
But he is making them uncomfortable as a way to open their minds. He thinks
Eco week, which Seagate has been holding since 2000, helps build a more
collaborative, team-oriented company. He also thinks it teaches his people
something about priorities.

More at Fortune.com
Related Links
City Slickers in IMDB