Comments on: Microsoft Problems http://comments.deasil.com/2009/02/05/microsoft-problems/ escape colon w q Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:30:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: felix http://comments.deasil.com/2009/02/05/microsoft-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-14868 felix Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:59:28 +0000 http://comments.deasil.com/?p=2121#comment-14868 Robin, that's a nice insight that success reinforces your existing behaviors - definitely true. Even when skinner box like, it wasn't necessarily your behaviors that brought on that success. Is Microsoft just a massive, massive skinner box experimentee?? :) A lot of their success was right thing at the right time with an initial good idea.<br><br>I think that's why I believe that the change has to start at the top, that is, they need an executive transfusion to bring in a different culture to the place. I suspect that this will start to happen over the next 5 or so years, they simply can't go on as they have been. Shareholders gotta be pissed over their stocks not moving in the past decade. Robin, that's a nice insight that success reinforces your existing behaviors – definitely true. Even when skinner box like, it wasn't necessarily your behaviors that brought on that success. Is Microsoft just a massive, massive skinner box experimentee?? :) A lot of their success was right thing at the right time with an initial good idea.

I think that's why I believe that the change has to start at the top, that is, they need an executive transfusion to bring in a different culture to the place. I suspect that this will start to happen over the next 5 or so years, they simply can't go on as they have been. Shareholders gotta be pissed over their stocks not moving in the past decade.

]]> By: Robin http://comments.deasil.com/2009/02/05/microsoft-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-14869 Robin Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:22:08 +0000 http://comments.deasil.com/?p=2121#comment-14869 One way of looking at Microsoft is that for three decades, they led in the commercialization of packaged software. One can argue about whether they did any real innovation in terms of user experience or ideas - but they did a better job of anyone else in commercializing it. This resulted in them gaining huge amounts of cash, as well as a significant degree of control over the market. Controlling a market isn't actually a long-term advantage because it closes you off from information about what people really want - i.e you impose your will on consumers rather than listening to their needs. Success reinforces the behaviors you have been doing, whether or not they have any causal relationship to the outcome. These things are in the DNA of the organization - both its structure, and its top management, some of whom have lived their entire professional lives within this environment. Their brains are literally wired for this and won't be unwired any time soon.<br><br>Right now, it looks as though they are seeing other people being successful, not understanding why, and trying to copy their behaviors. In particular they know they aren't perceived as cool and are trying to become cool.<br><br>I this is actually a very rational response - we do most of our learning though mimicry even if it looks silly and derivative at first, and their cash means they can afford to do this for a while. <br><br>At the same time, they're struggling with their addiction to being in control. Not being dependent on being in control is what enabled Apple to rise to where they are now, and of course their challenge is to avoid becoming dependent on the control they now enjoy, because this dependency is how Microsoft painted itself into it's current corner. One way of looking at Microsoft is that for three decades, they led in the commercialization of packaged software. One can argue about whether they did any real innovation in terms of user experience or ideas – but they did a better job of anyone else in commercializing it. This resulted in them gaining huge amounts of cash, as well as a significant degree of control over the market. Controlling a market isn't actually a long-term advantage because it closes you off from information about what people really want – i.e you impose your will on consumers rather than listening to their needs. Success reinforces the behaviors you have been doing, whether or not they have any causal relationship to the outcome. These things are in the DNA of the organization – both its structure, and its top management, some of whom have lived their entire professional lives within this environment. Their brains are literally wired for this and won't be unwired any time soon.

Right now, it looks as though they are seeing other people being successful, not understanding why, and trying to copy their behaviors. In particular they know they aren't perceived as cool and are trying to become cool.

I this is actually a very rational response – we do most of our learning though mimicry even if it looks silly and derivative at first, and their cash means they can afford to do this for a while.

At the same time, they're struggling with their addiction to being in control. Not being dependent on being in control is what enabled Apple to rise to where they are now, and of course their challenge is to avoid becoming dependent on the control they now enjoy, because this dependency is how Microsoft painted itself into it's current corner.

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