“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”
— Bill Gates
Bill Gates is, in a way, the Godfather of modern entrepreneurship. If it weren’t for Microsoft, today’s entrepreneurial landscape where computer engineering and software meet, would not be the same. In fact, at the dawn of my career, I was one of 700 engineers at Intel writing code to help make this successful combination of fast chips and software a reality.
When I started my first company, and I was searching for CEO plays, a book about Bill, Hard Drive by Jim Wallace, was my “source code.”
While you may be thinking, “Well, duh,” I promise you there’s always something interesting to learn about him, his work, and how he thinks. Here are two great sources for learning more about Bill Gates that you should enjoy over your holiday break:
The first is an episode of the Masters of Scale podcast with Reid Hoffman, where Bill talks about scaling both “his global business and his global philanthropy.” One takeaway from this episode is, “Pick the toughest customers and meet their needs.” I suggest you tune in to find out why!
(More amazing Podcasts can be found here.)
The next is a short docuseries on Netflix, Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates. In only three episodes, you’ll learn more about his philanthropic mission, his life-changing CEO plays, and his solutions to climate change.
About the Author: John Belizaire
