From Ballmer to Billions: The Bold Advice That Made Microsoft Unkillable

The Ballmer Blueprint: Shaken Not Stirred Advice

Right so the other day I was pondering the fate of the world (as one does) and I stumbled upon this fascinating tidbit about Microsoft. Turns out when young Satya Nadella took over the reins from Steve Ballmer back in '14 Ballmer didn't just hand him the keys to the kingdom; he dropped a line that could make even Q proud: "Be bold and be right." Sounds simple doesn't it? Like telling me to simply disarm a nuclear warhead with a paperclip. But sometimes the simplest things are the deadliest. Or in this case the most profitable.

Boldness: License to Innovate

Nadella being the sharp chap he is took it to heart. "If you're not bold you're not going to do much of anything," he said. Reminds me of a time when I had to infiltrate a villain's lair disguised as a mime. Bold right? The point is boldness is the first step. It's like ordering a martini – it sets the tone for the evening. Of course you have to be right too. Otherwise you're just a loud idiot with a bad plan. Like Goldfinger trying to corner the gold market. Utter madness.

Amazon's Angle: Thinking Big Being Right a Lot

Even that Bezos bloke at Amazon has a similar philosophy. His leadership principles dictate that good leaders should "think big" and be "right a lot." Very similar to my own philosophy when choosing a tuxedo: think classic and always be impeccably tailored. Current Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says being right is a proxy for judgment. Judgment. Now there's a word I understand. It's the difference between seducing a femme fatale and ending up tied to a laser beam.

The Learn It All CEO: A Mind to Kill For

Nadella fancies himself a 'learn it all,' soaking up knowledge like I soak up… well never you mind. He isn't afraid to make big changes. This reminds me of when I had to learn to play baccarat in under an hour to bankrupt Le Chiffre. Adaptability my dear friends is key. And having a healthy amount of skepticism can't hurt either. Remember everyone has a scheme and all they want is your money.

The Cloud Gambit: Azure Skies Ahead

Now here's the kicker: Microsoft's market value went from around $300 billion to nearly $3 trillion under Nadella. And it all traces back to Ballmer's bold nudge into cloud computing. Nadella led the development of Microsoft's Azure cloud business. Azure now accounts for over half of Microsoft's total annual revenue. So it turns out the key to immense wealth and power is not as I previously thought a well placed Aston Martin and a Walther PPK but cloud computing. Who knew?

Ballmer's Blessing: Permission to be a Moneymaker

Nadella gave credit where it was due. "The guy who gave me permission to do all this was Steve Ballmer," he said. "He wanted us to be bold and go at the cloud very aggressively and that's what we did." So there you have it folks. Sometimes all it takes is a bit of encouragement and a whole lot of cloud to conquer the world. Now if you'll excuse me I have a date with a villain a volcano lair and a very large martini. Shaken not stirred naturally.