Bye Bill, you'll be missed
Courtesy of microsoft.
Blame the over sentimental bug in me but when I read (and heard) about the farewell speech Bill Gates gave to his employees at Microsoft, I started to shed tears.
I considered writing an in-depth post about the man himself and his achievements but due to the fact that I've got far more important things to do today, I'm gonna save that for another time and keep this short.
Forget the fact that he was the world's richest man for 12 consecutive years. Forget the anti-trust lawsuits and the supposed manipulative monopoly of the company. Forget the recent failings of Vista. Forget the disgrunted customers and jealous competitors. Seriously, there are people who love Microsoft and Bill Gates and I'm one of them.
The legacy he has left behind is amazing. When I think about Bill Gates, I think about the computers and the operating systems and the software that made the information technology revolution possible today. Of course, there are other unmentioned companies and luminaries that have contributed to this computer revolution but Bill is certainly a legend in the field in his own right.
“When Paul Allen and I started Microsoft over 30 years ago, we had big dreams about software. We had dreams about the impact it could have. We talked about a computer on every desk and in every home. It’s been amazing to see so much of that dream become a reality and touch so many lives. I never imagined what an incredible and important company would spring from those original ideas.”
This was the guy whose vision was to put a computer in every home and his perpetual passion for technology and research development will continue to be felt at Microsoft, even as he officially steps down as chairman of Microsoft (remaining in an non-executive role) on 27 June 2008 to focus on the Bill and Melinda foundation.
Seattle Times has an article about his departure and farewell day and an audio clip of his very poignant farewell speech can be found at Todd Bishop's Microsoft Blog.
I guess I felt sad because I cannot possibly imagine how it feels to leave a company that he had build from scratch into one of the world's most reknown and powerful multinational companies. To reflect on the bad days when detractors brayed for the company's blood and everything went wrong. To reflect on the good days when he was hailed as the king of the world and everything seemed possible. To realize that his own college dream had materialized and that in a significant way, he has changed people's lives forever.
