Entrepreneur's Holl of 1ome: Bill Cotes

Born 1955, Bill Gates is the Chairman and CEO oI MicrosoIt Corporation, the world's largest computer
soItware company. MicrosoIt was co-Iounded with Paul Allen in 1975 and has become the standard Ior
PC operating systems and soItware Ior personal and business use. MicrosoIt controls over 80 oI PC
operating systems, the programs that control the way a computer works.
Bill as an entrepreneur has reached the status oI wealthiest individual in the world. Some sources believe
that Mr. Gates is striving to become the world's Iirst trillionaire! Bill Gates is one oI the rare
entrepreneurs with the skills to take a company Irom start-up to corporate giant.
Quotes
"The past twenty years have been an incredible adventure Ior me. It started on a day when, as a college
sophomore, I stood in Harvard Square with my Iriend Paul Allen and pored over the description oI a kit
computer in Popular Electronics magazine."
3trepre3eurship at a3 early age
Born the son oI a lawyer (Iather) and teacher (mother), William Henry Gates was a middle child in a well-to-
do Iamily in Seattle, Washington. He was always a highly motivated child. By some accounts, he was the
equivalent oI today's "nerd" playing with computers while other kids played with each other. His interest in the
computer started with an early tele-type machine through a time-share program. Gates learned BASIC
(programming language) and earned the right to use the machine as a trade-oII Ior maintaining the equipment.
He met Paul Allen a 10th grade electronics buII to learn more about the hardware and programming. While
Gates was a "techie", he possessed the very unusual giIt oI insight and most importantly vision Ior what the
hardware would require to provide "utility" to the masses.
AIter several years oI learning and thinking he graduated the private Lakeside School and then went on to Harvard. He dropped out oI
Harvard to pursue his passion to create the "operating soItware" Ior computer hardware companies. In 1972 with Paul Allen they
created %raf-O-Data, a company that sold a computer to analyze traIIic data. Their eyes then came upon a microcomputer called the
Altair oIIered by MITS Computer and began to provide programming languages. At one point as the
consummate entrepreneur, he attempted to sell soItware to a company that he didn't even own!! in order to
get the business. From the Altair, Gates saw the personal computer as the Iuture.
ey thoughts for e3trepre3eurs
MicrosoIt operating systems oI DOS and MS-DOS reside in more than 80 oI the hundreds oI millions oI PC's in use today. The
company is involved in over 200 products spanning not only computer related products and services but also education, entertainment,
news (MSNBC) and much more.
In 1975, revenues were $16,000 with 3 employees. In 1976, revenues were $22,000 with 7 employees. Both years posted losses. Many
companies would have quit aIter 2 years.
Bill Gates is one oI the "rare" entrepreneurs with incredible vision and the ability to grow a business to astounding levels. In the mid-
70's Bill believed that in time every desk would have a computer as a tool.
II you look at the person as an individual you will realize the type oI driver he is. He is consumed by the notion oI returns and making
money. Gates hires the best and brightest and rewards employees well. The company has made thousands oI millionaires. He tries to
keep his hands in as many vital aspects oI the business as possible yet provides the work groups the latitude to work and create.
MicrosoIt has experienced some tremendous backlash on many Ironts including bugs Irom the release oI products, missing product
release dates and more. But companies built to last with motivated individuals learn Irom mistakes and use the Ieedback to build better
products. Such organizations even learn how to accept, generate and use Ieedback!!! MicrosoIt has taken collaboration within work-
groups to new levels Irom experience and a willingness to adapt to changing environments. Managing a company through at times a
600 growth rate is an incredible accomplishment.
MicrosoIt and Bill Gates have many Iriends and Ioes but the power and magnitude oI the computer industry and the ways most oI us
live our lives are Iorever altered by this man's achievements. The spawning oI thousands oI other companies around MicrosoIt as well
as entire industries have changed the way we do business and live our lives.
Books about and written by Bill Gates:
Business at the Speed oI Thought : Succeeding in the Digital Economy by Bill Gates
Bill Gates Speaks : Insight Irom the World's Greatest Entrepreneur by Janet C. Lowe
Business Masterminds: Bill Gates by Robert Heller