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- Dubai 05:45 07:02 12:31 15:32 17:55 19:13
Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, recently disclosed what he considers the greatest mistake of his career—a misstep that cost the company a staggering $400 billion.
Gates, who founded Microsoft alongside his childhood friend Paul Allen in 1975, admitted in an interview that the failure to establish Microsoft as a dominant player in the mobile operating system market was a critical oversight. According to a report by Gizmochina, Gates highlighted the fierce competition among tech companies during the early days of the smartphone era and how Microsoft fell behind.
“In the software world, particularly in platforms, it’s a winner-takes-all market,” Gates said. “The single biggest mistake I made was poor management that led to Microsoft not becoming what Android is today—the standard non-Apple platform for mobile devices.”
He explained further, “It was natural for Microsoft to win that market. If you’re behind, even slightly—say you have half or 90% of the apps—it’s catastrophic. There’s only room for one operating system outside of Apple’s, and its value? $400 billion that Google captured instead of Microsoft.”
Gates reflected on how a delayed entry into the smartphone race determined Microsoft’s fate in the mobile market. Apple introduced the iPhone in June 2007, followed by the launch of Android in September 2008. Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7, however, didn’t debut until October 2010—far too late to compete effectively.
By then, Android and iOS had already cemented their dominance, controlling 99.9% of the mobile operating system market. Gates acknowledged that this late entry sealed Microsoft’s inability to capture a significant share, describing it as “one of the most critical mistakes ever made.”
Despite this misstep, Microsoft remains a tech giant valued at nearly $3 trillion today. Gates himself was the world’s richest person for several years before dropping to sixth place among the wealthiest Americans and seventh globally in 2023, with a net worth of $103.8 billion, according to Forbes.
At 69, Gates remains engaged in business and innovation. In a conversation with Julia Hartz, CEO of Eventbrite, at a Village Global event, Gates shared insights on leadership and success.
Interestingly, Rich Miner, co-founder of Android, also weighed in on Microsoft’s failure to dominate the smartphone market, stating, “I helped create Android to prevent Microsoft from controlling mobile the way they did with PCs, which stifled innovation. Sorry, Bill, but you’re more responsible for the $400 billion loss than you realize,” as reported by CNBC.
While the missed opportunity in mobile remains a significant chapter in Microsoft’s history, Gates’ admission underscores the high stakes of innovation and the importance of timely execution in the tech industry.
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