In 1975, Paul Allen and Bill Gates, both computer obsessives, created Microsoft, a company that has since become a tech giant. When he is asked today about the vision of success he had then, his answer is disturbing.
Passion guided Bill Gates
Quoted by CNBChe responds as follows: “Back then, it was just a question of whether my code was really good: Is my code really good? Does it work? And can this company show the world that these microcomputers are big?”
In reality, the billionaire was mainly guided by his passion which clearly turned into obsession:
That was the magic of software. And I was ready to dedicate my life, in my twenties, to just software, just to this job. Our slogan was “a personal computer on every desk and in every home,” which sounds boring today, but at the time it was crazy.
The regrets of the founder of Microsoft
In fact, this led Bill Gates to become a real workaholic, so much so that the now 68-year-old entrepreneur expresses real regret today. This year, he explained on Threads:
It took me way too long to realize that you don’t have to fill every second of your schedule to be successful. Looking back, this is a lesson I could have learned much sooner if I had taken a look at Warren Buffett’s intentionally light schedule.
The boss explains that business leaders engaged in a sordid competition in the past: whoever will have the shortest nights. He said he admired people who managed to sleep very little: “I was like, ‘These guys are so good, I need to try harder because sleep is lazy and useless.’.
Bill Gates has since revised his copy. Note also that many leaders today claim this state of mind. For example, some people made an example of spending more time with their family or for their leisure activities.
What to remember:
- Bill Gates recently reflected on his state of mind when he founded Microsoft
- He indicates his passion which led him to focus on this IT revolution
- He also expresses certain regrets for having focused too much on work and on a single center of interest
