tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post112684245352174592..comments2024-03-18T12:52:48.117-07:00Comments on Mini-Microsoft: Troubling Exits At Microsoft - Business WeekWho da'Punkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18205453956191063442noreply@blogger.comBlogger164125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1145423765860043792006-04-18T22:16:00.000-07:002006-04-18T22:16:00.000-07:00Its all about integrity and Balmer lacks it. Tough...Its all about integrity and Balmer lacks it. Tough words? Of course they are, but he once said at a company meeting as he trounced around a stage at Safeco field. "I'm in, are you" and asked the same question 10 times until everyone said "I'm in". <BR/><BR/>At that time shares of MSFT stock was about $25.00-$27.00 per share and that was approximately 5 years. Now, 5 years later the stock is at the same point. <BR/><BR/>Using the MSFT rating system where a 3.0 warrants only meeting job performance with nothing to indicate going above and beyond the daily norm. I would have to say that executive management is doing quite well considering they fit into this category. How else do you explain five straight years of a stagnant stock price?<BR/><BR/><BR/>As an MSFT employee if I recieved a 3.0 review score for the last 5 years I would be told in a polite way to go looking, I would get no raise or minimal, no bonus and little if any stock awards. As it stands now VP's and GM's get awarded a possible $1,000,000 per year as a VP or 350-550k per year for a GM, all for showing a consistent 3.0 performance for the past 5 years.<BR/><BR/>Keep in mind our shareholders have not made any money in the last five years, but the one's who are responsible for pushing up the stock price at MSFT get rewarded for a lack of performance.<BR/><BR/>Why is it Balmers fault, why do I say he lacks integrity? I'll answer that this way. I spent over 20+ years in the military and as an Infantry Airborne Platoon Sergeant one of the things I always remembered was that "I was responsible for everything my platoon did or failed to do" and since Balmer is the CEO of MSFT that makes him responsible for everything this company does or fails to do.<BR/><BR/>The recent reorg where all the execs follow each others email after the first one is sent to prove they are all on board with the change is a case in point. No new real blood, all they really did was shuffle the existing execs around hoping that would change something so Windows Live will be some big deal, which it can but not under this existing leadership.<BR/><BR/>I could care less that a VP makes 1 mil and I could care less that a GM makes 350-550k per year. Quite frankly that level of responsibility if successful should get that kind of money. However, show success first. What I care about is the fact that MSFT shareholders have been stagnant for the past 5 years.<BR/><BR/>If a shareholder had been sitting in the audience 5 years ago when Balmer said "I'm in, are you" and could see where their money would be right now, how many of them do you think would say "I'm in"?<BR/><BR/>By the way, the recent shake up had much to do with the the latest tirade about not releasing Vista in November instead of January 07. The fact is, Vista is launching with much less capability than it was originally designed for but because the execs want to get a new OS out the door as soon as possible they cut back on functionality to make it. However, what they failed to take in to account is the fact that the people that were left to design what was left of Vista were not the cream of the crop because the good one's rolled out to Google. Hence the reason Vista is really shipping when it is.<BR/><BR/>Keep in mind this is the same crew of brainiacs that did not ship enough Xbox 360's just before Xmas.<BR/><BR/>I'm in are you? C'mon Steve, get on stage and tell the truth and stop being a suit for once! Or at the very least and admit like Gordon Gekko did, that "Greed is good" because at least then you would be honest.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1142672979820186462006-03-18T01:09:00.000-08:002006-03-18T01:09:00.000-08:00As a microsoftie I work all day long just because ...As a microsoftie I work all day long just because of my professionlism and ego, nothing else now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1142400331224523602006-03-14T21:25:00.000-08:002006-03-14T21:25:00.000-08:00How is the internal drama at Microsoft any differe...How is the internal drama at Microsoft any different from other tech companies? We have the same problems at McAfee. On the marketing side internal promotions are rare. Company keeps hiring inept outsiders for management roles. Bunch of hack Nortel rethreads. We have managers who know how to manage up but no freaking clue how to manage down the line. The point is - the grass is rarely greener on the other side.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1142282852818042932006-03-13T12:47:00.000-08:002006-03-13T12:47:00.000-08:00Sad to see a company that has achieved so much and...Sad to see a company that has achieved so much and with such an incredible potential slide into this decay over the last 5 years. Employee morale is the lowest in the last 15 years that I have been around. And no - its not because of flat stock price - remember early 90's - people were still excited inspite of the stock being flat for a number of years.<BR/><BR/>The cultural problems can be traced to the reward/punishement/review/HR process, that hasn't kept pace with the growth of the company.<BR/><BR/>Increasingly managers are forming "inner circle" to help in political battles. Loyalty to the manager is more valuable than loyalty to Microsoft. The current review mechanism allows managers to freely reward these individuals. This behaviour is spreading like an epidemic.<BR/><BR/>On the other hand its very easy for a manager to lable individuals who challenge or are critical as trouble-maker or not a team player. The review mechanism makes it very easy to punish them. Less and less people want to challenge and be critical - playing along is the favourite game. Result is groupthink or people leave silentltly. <BR/><BR/>COmpunding this problem is strange organization alignments. Quite a few VP own a bunch of disparte organization with less and less alignment. They are more and more removed from the challenges. Its hard for them to understand and drill-down and identify problems in self-congratlatory good news thats being reported to them. In turn they pass it up to steveb. <BR/><BR/>No wonder steveb feels everything is hunkey-dory with MS when its not.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1128048315296237932005-09-29T19:45:00.000-07:002005-09-29T19:45:00.000-07:00Dear everyone! As a passionate and enthusiastic so...Dear everyone! <BR/>As a passionate and enthusiastic software salesperson I've been selling our software in the enterprise quite successfully over the last several years and growing the sales business by at least 20% in my team.<BR/><BR/>After the nice little re-org we have a lot more folks "helping" to sell the software, rather than actually working with the client directly. I wholehartedly agree that there are tons of very expensive GMs with very few or no reports in the field and very little effect on ultimate sales numbers. It is very easy to identify them and someone should ask the tough question, why are we paying them all these outlandish salaries? Someone gotta ask them to leave and make room to boost the salaries of those ones who make money for the company!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127936859311134992005-09-28T12:47:00.000-07:002005-09-28T12:47:00.000-07:00(snip)"I think some of these comments on here prov...(snip)"I think some of these comments on here provide perspective: You think it's bad at Microsoft? It's not necessarily better elsewhere."<BR/><BR/>I've worked a lot of software companies in the Seattle area, including some startups, and each place has its (negative & positive) issues. What I've seen here at MS, and what y'all have talked about, is not all that unique, except it is on a much larger scale. In my experience, Adobe (Seattle), Real, Amazon, & Expedia are all worse overall.<BR/><BR/>While I had lots to complain about here at MS in the Office group, I'm now in a different team I like, with a good manager (rare here, in my experience), and we've got some interesting work to do.<BR/><BR/>Do I like my work? Yes. Am I rabidly jazzed about what I do? Not really. Do I need to be? Not really...it's just a job.<BR/><BR/>Would I like to be rabidly jazzed? Yes.<BR/><BR/>But that hasn't happened since the early & startup days. Realistically, those won't return here, especially in the mature (dare I say, monopoly) businesses where protecting the franchises and drinking the kool aid are de rigeur (sic). And in smaller teams, especially doing real innovative work, the larger org mostly always gets in the way..."must kill the new thing...."<BR/><BR/>As someone else said here: (like any place else) it depends on the group you're in, who your managers are, and who you work with everyday. For that, my group gets a 4.0.<BR/><BR/>Too bad about the stock performance, the bloated high priced management structure (Directors or GMs with no reports, anyone?), and all those that drink/inject the kool aid. Fools.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127628775559776832005-09-24T23:12:00.000-07:002005-09-24T23:12:00.000-07:00I doubt I'll be able to articulate this just the w...I doubt I'll be able to articulate this just the way I'd like but I'll try.<BR/><BR/>I never cease to be amazed at how leaders dodge questions in interviews. Somehow - not so cleverly, I'm sure - Ballmer manages to end up at the "amazing product pipeline" in each response. We see it all the time, politicians do it (on both sides). They never really say want they want to say, they're so afraid.<BR/><BR/>I'm confused on how I feel about this stuff. On one hand, I would just once like to see these people, who have such huge leadership roles, just break it down honestly. On the other hand, I know there is *some* value in focusing on the positive. I know I'm not the only person who reads these interviews, daydreaming, "Man, if that were me, I'd answer those questions with brutal honesty. Wouldn't that shock the industry? Everybody would like us then - they'd see we're real." I just don't understand what it takes to get people who think like that into these roles. Are the two mutually exclusive?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127628448901602182005-09-24T23:07:00.000-07:002005-09-24T23:07:00.000-07:00Whenever I see that 888 on a shuttle, I read MMM -...Whenever I see that 888 on a shuttle, I read MMM - Microsoft Managers are Morons :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127518776158889232005-09-23T16:39:00.000-07:002005-09-23T16:39:00.000-07:00Devs who dislike testers should be immediately fir...Devs who dislike testers should be immediately fired from MS! You have shown zero CPE interest and you deserve to go into Good Attrition.<BR/><BR/>I'm a long time dev lead and dev manager (outside MS) and I came to MS because of my passion for test. I have met your type a lot of times during my run'ins with dev, and anytime a developer acts up I code his ass off the whiteboard. I criticise the hell out of his ER diagrams, his class diagrams and 9 out of 10 times he changes the freakin' work and begs for mercy. And I will abso-freakin'-lutely go and review the guys code and file a shitload of bugs.<BR/><BR/>Don't cut all testers into "they just failed their dev interview" bucket. Some of us are star developers with a passion for quality, and if you ever meet one of us you change your view of testing forever.<BR/><BR/>That rant aside, MSFT has done a horrible job to attract the likes of me to the testing ranks. Taking in people who want to "grow" into devs should literally kicked out of the interview rooms. We need people to realize that test is a career path which is not only about clicking the mouse around a screen, but it is also QA role on the code the devs make. I have had test teams which have had SDETs so strong that we were mentoring the dev team (in MSFT!)<BR/><BR/>So please cut the crap, learn to love testers, they will in the end be the ones saving your sorry little ass from being sued for billions of $.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127322753094453592005-09-21T10:12:00.000-07:002005-09-21T10:12:00.000-07:00Speaking of troubling exits, here's a candid view ...Speaking of troubling exits, here's a candid view of a <A HREF="http://partisanchaos.blogspot.com/2005/09/testing-in-hell-real-reasons-i-and.html" REL="nofollow">recent departure</A>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127322460346855112005-09-21T10:07:00.000-07:002005-09-21T10:07:00.000-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Garretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10606685769956913456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127300938345983902005-09-21T04:08:00.000-07:002005-09-21T04:08:00.000-07:00"Imagine going from the environment you are in now..."Imagine going from the environment you are in now to having a boss sitting there with charts and graphs, with people who don't code telling you that you need to go to idiotic meetings, etc."<BR/><BR/>Hah. Ever tried swimming through the politics at Debian or Mozilla?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127293557915159822005-09-21T02:05:00.000-07:002005-09-21T02:05:00.000-07:00>(after all microsoft is into software DEVELOPMENT...>(after all microsoft is into software DEVELOPMENT, not software program management or software testing) <BR/><BR/>Like those gazillion bugs in our products marched in the front door and just happened to sit in the source code.<BR/><BR/>I wager you're just as incompetent as the other developers I've met who bluster about the uselessness of test.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127286104605596322005-09-21T00:01:00.000-07:002005-09-21T00:01:00.000-07:00Probably it's too late at night to have endured re...Probably it's too late at night to have endured reading Ballmer's outright freaking lies, but frankly, I don't know whether to puke or hire a hit man. Honestly, how can any otherwise sane individual stand up and say shit like this?????Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127253171450539942005-09-20T14:52:00.000-07:002005-09-20T14:52:00.000-07:00You people bashing PMs/testers- uh, you HAVE to be...You people bashing PMs/testers- uh, you HAVE to be kidding me.<BR/><BR/>Yeah, PM and test are support roles to development- no code = no product. And yes, there are incompetent PMs/testers. Word has it there are incompetent developers as well. Go figure.<BR/><BR/>But you know what? Some people are GOOD at spotting design flaws and creatively breaking things, and only so-so at writing code- they're fine at automation but you might not want them writing kernel drivers. They make good testers. Some people are GOOD at understanding UI and design principles, and incorporating user feedback, but not so good at coding. Those people make good PMs. Do you really want to tell those people to fuck off and die because they are not as "l33+" as you, or would you rather have them move the furniture out of the way so you can get back to coding?<BR/><BR/>I know I got to participate in spec reviews as a tester. So did my developers- we fixed bugs and design issues BEFORE we had to code them. I didn't hassle my developers for work before it was ready, because it's not any more effective than asking your parents "Are we there yet?" 87 times in the car when you are 6.<BR/><BR/>But yeah, I KNOW I was a part of a valuable team when I tested at MS, because my developers threatened (jokingly) to lock me in car trunks after finding bugs on checkins. It wasn't because they were very sloppy; it was because the job they had was HARD, and I was good at kicking ass all over the code, and asking questions, and working with PM and Dev and not being stupid (anyone who filed a bug of "not working" isn't doing their job). But I was pretty lucky when I worked at Microsoft- most of my time was spent in small groups where we could fit everyone on our team into a 20-30 person conference room.<BR/><BR/>Anyone in Dev who can't figure out how to make use of Test and PM just has a dysfunctional organization. Some people like a particular discipline in software engineering better (Test or PM), and have skills more suited to that (I know a fair number of dev types who don't write well and would produce horrible specs, and while they are domain experts in coding would be totally lost understanding real-world user issues most testers would see pretty quickly). I don't see why people who do good jobs in PM or Test MUST become developers, or they aren't really helping...but that's me, I guess. I suppose that means RNs should become heart surgeons, then?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127192986357992952005-09-19T22:09:00.000-07:002005-09-19T22:09:00.000-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Who da'Punkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18205453956191063442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127180201542153972005-09-19T18:36:00.000-07:002005-09-19T18:36:00.000-07:00MacDailyNews Take: Hey, Microsoft employees, "Towe...MacDailyNews Take: Hey, Microsoft employees, "Towels!" We found <A HREF="http://store1.yimg.com/I/redlightrunner_1851_50937312" REL="nofollow">a nice one</A> for you guys and gals, but, alas, it's sold out.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/6926/" REL="nofollow">Microsoft suffers from malaise, key defections, Windows Vista struggles, lack of towels</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127161979147714642005-09-19T13:32:00.000-07:002005-09-19T13:32:00.000-07:00I heard a intersting anology while runing the VC g...I heard a intersting anology while runing the VC gauntlet for funding. Web search by MSFT, Googee and Y! are the equivalent of NBC, ABC and CBS. Sell ads around content. Y! is the most diversified Internet Content Network. Google has all the cool shows for this fall's season.<BR/><BR/>Oversimplified, but oddly accurate<BR/><BR/>MSFT is the only software company among them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127152461472054872005-09-19T10:54:00.000-07:002005-09-19T10:54:00.000-07:00The thing that worries me is that there is no visi...<I>The thing that worries me is that there is no visible change in Microsoft the way I see it from the outside. It seems like Ballmer has his mind set.</I><BR/><BR/>He has a nice fat monopoly to sit on. The company is still making money and so is he.<BR/><BR/>As far as he is concerned, there is nothing wrong.<BR/><BR/>Windows and Office<BR/><BR/>Vista and Office 12<BR/><BR/>Same old. Same old. Strategy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127147666482411692005-09-19T09:34:00.000-07:002005-09-19T09:34:00.000-07:00I read with fascination and concern the business w...I read with fascination and concern the business week article on Microsoft’s people losses. Microsoft nearly missed the boat with the internet, and now they are on the verge of losing outright the search engine war. The risk here is that Google may finally render the desktop OS obsolete. Instead, over the past 10 years Microsoft’s executives’ efforts have been on an insidious and disabling rise in bureaucracy accompanied with a consequential loss of innovation. Worse yet, this lack of innovation applies not only to the products, but also equally to the management, people and process skills in the company. <BR/><BR/>However, these are far from the biggest issues. For the company, it is remains gaining respect as an innovator. This is critical for preserving a modicum of “coolness” and sustaining the ability to attract the best and brightest. With software, the value is not just in the capital or balance sheets, but also with the intellectual horsepower of the people. Flawless execution of a business process unfortunately will not win the hearts and minds of the best and brightest software developers around the world. <BR/><BR/>Most discouraging was reading the interview with Ballmer. His answers came across more as talking points from the DNC and marketing gibberish, than an executive that truly had a bead on the challenges that face the company. His comments lacked intellectual honesty and substance. In fact, I can only classify them as “content-free communication”.<BR/><BR/>Therefore, they struggle. Inside executives contemplate more mind-numbing business processes stifling any potential for improving technical innovation. Granted repeatable and predictable results are critical for any company, but to do so requires domain expertise not MBAs who have never seen a line code. As well, and for years, the company pooh-poohed outside, independent expertise and forums in Computer Science and Software Development. Instead, they continued to hire senior managers who are non-experts in software development. Consider the hiring of Kevin Turner from Wal-Mart. This is a formula for diminishing returns and decline. My recommendation back to Microsoft is to focus intensely on your problems, develop your technical leadership and fire the lawyers. Demonstrate that you can ship a product of as high quality as Apple's OS or the I-Pod or as innovative, an internet-based service as eBay's or Google's. Then maybe the respect will come and better yet the stock price may actually grow, and you retain your talent. Now that would be respect.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127145193606419942005-09-19T08:53:00.000-07:002005-09-19T08:53:00.000-07:00"'Well, Mini is a man, that rules out 15% of the w..."'Well, Mini is a man, that rules out 15% of the workforce? :)'<BR/><BR/>He writes in English well, that rules out another 50% of the workforce."<BR/><BR/>"Ugh, can the racists please just leave?"<BR/><BR/>That isn't about racism, it's about nationalism (BTW I didn't originally post that). Sure, I understand that "trying" to keep COGS done is good business, but how is exporting work that needs to be fixed back in Redmond a good thing? <BR/><BR/>Sure, MSFT can pay some "international" vendor $10k a month (120k a year) for medicore code, I'm sure we can pay some US citizen $50k a year to do the same (or hopefully better, after ramping up on all the process), and not have to make 2am conference calls and re-write the code anyways...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127136833866719712005-09-19T06:33:00.000-07:002005-09-19T06:33:00.000-07:00>You missed my point about crap builds. Testers wa...>You missed my point about crap builds. Testers want builds before features are ready, and then they think the devs can't code and file a lot of obvious, worthless bugs that the devs probably already knew about. You sound like one of these testers.<BR/><BR/>I was in test for 5 years, and I wasn't like that at all. What I wanted was to do my job, which in theory according to the HR guidelines, was to write code - test code, not shipping code, but code nevertheless.<BR/><BR/>Unlike devs, I didn't care if whatever I wrote would ship - I looked at it as more a job where I was paid to learn particular technology and/or APIs.<BR/><BR/>But between the endless cycle of installing the latest, the general lack of information about the product/features I was to work on, the crap builds the devs would give me (as you have so noted), and difficult to test features (UI features only and no, writing Visual Test wasn't my idea of a career path; or irreversible state changing ops that basically required a full reinstall to get back to a known good state), all my time was sucked up into basically STE level work.<BR/><BR/>Test could have been so much better; I would have killed for a position where I'd have X years to learn networking, then switch to DirectX, then switch to databases, then switch to compilers, or whatever. But mobility was never a priority, and the sole career path for test is management, most typically becoming the lead of your group, and staying at the same thing year after year. You get promoted too high and then you're permanently screwed, as you can't move into a dev position at your same level anymore.<BR/><BR/>After getting forced into a lead position and basically hating it, I got a 3.0 review. Which I thought was decent considering being a lead was new for me, plus I didn't like it at all. Unfortunately, a 3.0 means it is impossible to switch jobs. This vicious cycle wore me down and now I'm gone, to a dev job at another company, one which I enjoy a lot more than my days at MS.<BR/><BR/>But back to your comment; you seem like one of those devs that holds test in utter contempt. So I'm sure you probably deserve the same attitude reflected back to you.<BR/><BR/>-KAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127115681603620462005-09-19T00:41:00.000-07:002005-09-19T00:41:00.000-07:00No, Google does not have "rich" UI. They have simp...No, Google does not have "rich" UI. They have simple UI that's easy to use. That's why people like them and they're successful.<BR/><BR/>Apple does have UI designers, but much of the design is left to dev. I don't have a URL--I know this because I talk with people who worked for Apple.<BR/><BR/>You missed my point about crap builds. Testers want builds before features are ready, and then they think the devs can't code and file a lot of obvious, worthless bugs that the devs probably already knew about. You sound like one of these testers.<BR/><BR/>As for your ideas about how test can "help," you don't even realize that you're causing the bureaucracy problem. More checklists? More code reviews? Come on!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127099294209113052005-09-18T20:08:00.000-07:002005-09-18T20:08:00.000-07:00"I truly believe this site is the vocal minority."..."I truly believe this site is the vocal minority."<BR/><BR/>I think you mean "hope" not believe. BTW, is that you Steve? I thought you didn't read Mini?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-1127097368941957082005-09-18T19:36:00.000-07:002005-09-18T19:36:00.000-07:00oops, I mean then-and-now scenario.oops, I mean then-and-now scenario.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com