Episode 10 Mike Slade, mentor to Steve Jobs and Bill Gates – Brunch VRESP

Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple), Bill Gates and Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft), Starbucks, and Walt Disney have something in common.

That is, he worked with Mike Slade (Full name: Michael B. Slade), an entrepreneur and investor.

He is a business management strategy consultant and investor who is not well known in Korea, but in the United States, he is one of the top ten global companies and one of the entrepreneurs who most want to work with among billionaires and multimillionaires.

CEO Mike Slade’s resume is so spectacular that it is tongue-in-cheek. More details will be introduced in the article below.

For example, if we were to introduce CEO Mike in one line about places that are somewhat familiar to us, he would be ‘He helped and invested in the Internet launch of ESPN.com, NBA.com, and NFL.com, and was a former Microsoft and Apple executive.’

There is a common saying in the industry about CEO Mike Slade. He is a ‘corporate marketing genius.’ He is also one of the most strategic CEOs I have ever met. In this article, CEO Mike Slate will share his experiences working at Apple and Microsoft, the personal relationships he formed while working with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, and what we can learn as businessmen.

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, love-hate relationship

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are both giants in the global technology field. The two were one of the most legendary friends and fiercest rivals in the tech world. Although they maintained a close yet distant relationship for over 30 years, it was a love-hate relationship where they never stopped attacking each other as much as they respected and loved each other. The story of Mike Slade, who worked with both of them, was very interesting.

Bill Gates regularly flew to Cupertino, where Apple is located, to check the progress of Apple products, and in the early 80s, Steve Jobs also flew to Washington and invited Bill Gates to create Microsoft software for Macintosh computers.

But when Microsoft released the first version of Windows in 1985, Jobs was furious and accused Gates of copying Macintosh ideas. Gates was completely unresponsive and focused on his business, and he is said to have said that Jobs was a strange man. Despite this, the two reportedly expressed respect for each other’s abilities.

In particular, at the 2007 AllThingsD conference, Gates even said, ‘If I can have Steve’s taste, I can come up with a lot of things.’ In response, Jobs said, ‘I respect the company Gates founded. It was so much fun working with him. He’s smart but also has a good sense of humor.’

After Jobs died, Gates mourned his death and said:

“I respect Steve. We worked together, but we were also competitors, able to push each other.”

Isn’t it said that a genius recognizes a genius? I think we are the ones who have benefited the most because we love and respect them, but at the same time become competitors and passionate critics. Without the love-hate relationship, we might not have been able to enjoy the intensive technological advancements of Microsoft and Apple. Healthy competition also plays a big role in promoting business development.

I think CEO Mike Slade was the best at walking the tightrope between two people with very different styles.

CEO Mike Slade’s career,

Deep relationship between Apple and Microsoft

The childhood that CEO Mike described was dismissed as ‘being born into a poor family.’ And then it started right away with a story about his career at Microsoft.

He served as Microsoft’s director of corporate marketing for seven years from 1983 to 1991. He held various senior product marketing positions at Microsoft. During his tenure, Excel (1985), Works (1987), and Microsoft Office (1989) were released, and he was in charge of marketing to make them common.

When Steve Jobs founded NeXTComputer, Inc., he was approached by CEO Mike to scout him, and after much consideration, he was moved to Vice President of Marketing (1991-93). NeXT Computer Company had high expectations for CEO Mike, but he made a big mistake while introducing himself on the first day, and he couldn’t forget the look of disappointment on his face.

I told people, ‘It’s time for NeXT to choose between actively pursuing work or going bankrupt,’ but he said he was unaware of the fact that NeXT had managed to maintain itself in that exact atmosphere for the past six years. . He added that although the first impression was not that good, all the problems that the early Cube Computer had were solved with the development of Next Station, and business problems were also solved through a new distribution channel established with individual retailers. He never forgot to say that self-introduction is very important, so you must prepare thoroughly and do it well according to the situation.

This is how you answered the question why you chose NeXT Computer over the stable and large Microsoft.

He answered, “Yes, Microsoft is a very big company. So I came to NeXT because I wanted to be a big fish playing in small waters (NeXT Computers).” While giving this answer, he did not say it jokingly but with a serious expression.

We say, ‘You have to play in big water.’ Representative Mike’s actions were the opposite. During his time at NeXT Computer, he played a major role in establishing the company’s presence and positioning it within an already saturated technology market. I didn’t know how working for a relatively short period of three years had anything to do with being a ‘big fish in small water.’

In 1993, Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, founded Starwave, Corp., a venture company. He resumed his relationship with Microsoft by offering to become Chairman and CEO of . For about six years until 1998, he led the Paul Allen-funded startup to early Internet fame by establishing joint ventures with ESPN, ABC News, Disney, and others, and building websites. ESPN.com, NBA.com, NFL.com, NASCAR.com, and ABCNews.com were launched. It is considered one of the most successful examples during the dot-com bubble period between 1995 and 2000.

When Steve Jobs became Apple’s CEO from 1998 to 2004, his relationship with Apple continued as he began serving as an advisor and mentor as a corporate consultant to Apple’s competitive team. He was responsible for all Mac products, particularly during his first two years, and was responsible for branding and identity, marketing, strategy, product and general management.

Currently, he is a partner and co-founder of Second Avenue Partners (2000-present), a Seattle-based venture capital firm founded in 1998. His board membership includes RealNetworks (RNWK) and seven startup/private boards (RealSelf, The Wrap, Fantasy Moguls, Flowplay, entrée.ai, Skydio, and TreeRing). He serves in strategy consulting, mergers and acquisitions, startup investment and advisory roles. He is also a strategic advisor to Crtl-Labs and LeakSmart. In 2001, CC established the Slade Fund for Sustainable Development Research.

(As an aside, CEO Mike Slade owned a lot of Microsoft stocks and it was known to people that he could become a multi-millionaire just by selling those stocks.)

Redefining failure,

Turnaround from failure to success

Apple and Microsoft have not taken an easy path. In any business, you have to go through a hellish fire and endure pitch-black darkness and a cold ice age before you can enjoy the warm sunshine.

By understanding the turnaround from failure to success and the turnaround process that occurred in turning Apple and Microsoft’s experience of failure into a crisis, we can remember once again that efforts as a businessman ultimately come back with the effect of compound interest and are never in vain. I was able to.

Apple Inc.

( failure )

In the mid-1990s, Apple Declining sales, a series of failed product launches and internal management problemswas struggling with

Apple company bankruptcy crisiswas in a

(turnaround)

Steve Jobs, one of Apple’s co-founders, returned to the company in 1997.

Under his leadership, Apple launched a series of products including the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad. innovative productpresented.

Design, user experience and tightly integrated ecosystemThe company’s focus on has helped it become one of the world’s most valuable companies.

Microsoft

( failure )

Microsoft initially Missed the mobile revolution.

Their Windows Mobile and later Windows Phone platforms are similar to iOS and Android. It failed to gain market share compared to its competitors.

(turnaround)

Microsoft’s mobile ambitions didn’t come true, but they did improve on cloud computing with Azure and Office 365. Subscription Modelshifted focus to

their LinkedIn acquisition and focus on enterprise services It has also been an important driver of growth and success in recent years.

Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates management style

The management styles of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are very different. There is no right answer to running a business, but there was a lot that CEO Mike Slade could learn from his experiences through the two management styles.

Steve Jobs management style

Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs said that Mike was the most inspirational and inspirational person he had ever met and worked with. He passed away in 2012, but even today, 12 years later, the name Steve Jobs is still considered an icon of a pioneer, genius, and innovator. He revolutionized the way we live with groundbreaking innovations through the personal computer, iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

During his lifetime, Steve Jobs was a role model for struggling entrepreneurs, business leaders, college dropouts, and people fighting diseases, and that fact has not changed even now. Mike worked as a senior assistant to Steve Jobs before becoming Apple’s strategic advisor. He then joined the management team and remained there from 1998 to 2004.

While working with Steve Jobs, he spoke highly of his ‘outside the box way of thinking’ and said that it actually served as an opportunity to change CEO Mike. He recalled his memories of having executive meetings every Monday and Tuesday, and spending every meeting for two days with Steve Jobs. Ironically, it was surprising that people had to call CEO Mike to find Steve Jobs because Steve Jobs did not have a cell phone.

According to CEO Mark, Steve Jobs was the type of person who responded head-on rather than trying to avoid conflict in any way. He said that if many people were going down the wrong path, he did not hesitate to reveal it publicly and did his best to solve the problem. He especially disliked conceptual presentations and always focused on the practical side. “What do consumers want?” or “What is the ad trying to say?”

When asked about Steve Jobs’ management style, Steve was said to be a unique combination of a control freak and a random style of doing things. If he was interested in something, he was persistent enough to drive everyone crazy and had a perfectionist tendency to take charge of the entire process and make sure there was no error. He generously ignores issues that don’t bother him, but complains without hesitation about unresolved issues that don’t meet his expectations. People with this aspect are either geniuses or crazy.

CEO Mike’s explanation was as follows.

“Steve Jobs was a genius. He had unique and excellent taste, worked harder than anyone else, and poured out his passion without stopping until he reached the bottom. We often meet businessmen who try to imitate Steve Jobs, but it is not a wise choice. No, because it is very likely that you will look like a crazy person to many people.”

CEO Mike told Steve, who did not trust people, that he hoped he would learn to rely on good people a little more. He added that this is the only way to create a better world and accomplish great things.

“Steve’s dedication to his craft was an inspiration to everyone. He was truly a rare gem. Charismatic and passionate, Steve’s innovations and achievements continue to impact industries, people and lifestyles around the world. Although he is no longer in the world, his philosophy lives on.”

Bill Gates Management Style

You said that in the case of Bill Gates, there is a clear difference from Steve Jobs in his approach to the market. Gates was more analytical and focused on the technical aspects of computing. On the other hand, Jobs led Apple with a clear vision and strongly believed in creating products that would revolutionize the market. While Gates had a practical approach, Jobs had a creative and visionary approach.

Gates was a disciplined and systematic leader. Jobs, on the other hand, was almost unconventional. This was different in his personal life as well. Jobs’ lifestyle was immersed in Eastern philosophy, and he had a habit of meditation and a strict diet, so his likes and dislikes were clear. On the other hand, Gates pursued a restrained, personal and private life. While Jobs was a charismatic public speaker, Gates was more comfortable interacting with technology and experts in his field.

The key to Gates’ management is timing and stability. Even in situations where the product has not been developed, if an opportunity arises, it begins with signing a contract. In order to get closer to the technology that consumers want by releasing products that the market needs, we use a strategy of releasing the next version as soon as a problem arises.

It was said that Microsoft has a very academic atmosphere. Emphasizes forming an excellent organization that constantly develops. Gates had a strong spirit of frugality, thoroughly managed work, thoroughly analyzed new products, and practiced thorough self-management. Gates was often scolded by his parents because he would not put down a book from a young age. He is still an avid reader and is famous for recommending his favorite books on his personal blog.

Bill Gates always put customers first. He did his best to provide products and services that customers wanted, and always listened to the voices of customers. Gates has always focused on developing new technologies and launching new products and services. He believed that innovation in upgraded products was necessary to stay ahead of competitors and placed great emphasis on innovation.

Gates, who had an outstanding ability to focus on one thing, devoted everything to the success of Microsoft and grew it into the world’s largest software company. We took care to help employees demonstrate their abilities to the fullest and provided various opportunities for employees to contribute to the company. Bill Gates’ management style that respects employees is an inspiration to many businessmen. On the other hand, he was single to incompetent employees.

As an excellent programmer, he has a strong ability to predict future situations and is said to draw up situational premises, ‘What if’, in his head and devise options from various angles. Through this, we have a management style that optimizes efficiency and productivity by drawing a clear vision for the company, setting the right goals, and then finding effective methods. It is said that many of Microsoft’s tasks are still approved directly.

The organizational system mobilized in the process of direct approval created a simplified working line consisting of a very small number of commanders with exceptional abilities and a large number of subordinate staff.

Gates’ emphasis on individual ability leads to his personnel philosophy of selecting ‘smart workers who can get the job done.’ Although Microsoft receives more than 15,000 resumes every month, it adheres to the principle of only hiring people who meet the criteria.

When you first join Microsoft, the starting salary is much lower than at other companies, but those who demonstrate ability are given preferential treatment by giving generous bonuses. It is said that sufficient compensation will be provided in proportion to the level of competency demonstrated, and the turnover rate is said to be low in this type of management.

Bill Gates is one of the richest people in the world and makes great efforts to give back his wealth to society. He founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with his wife, Melinda, in 2000. The Gates Foundation is one of the largest charitable foundations in the world. We donate to various fields such as poverty, disease, education, and climate change. To date, more than $500 has been provided.

Why do world-class companies want to work with you?

He said that it may be because it allows him to manage his business with simplicity rather than complexity. In addition, he said he received good feedback on trying not to judge easily or be prejudiced.

Above all, he considers it important to confront business issues after building sufficient trust in each other.

He advised me not to be afraid to ask questions. He never forgot to tell us to always focus on developing our true skills, think deeply, and do our best to identify the root causes. This is because skills will eventually show their bottom.

Mike Slade’s advice to entrepreneurs

Although Bill Gates and Steve Jobs had different management styles, one of their most striking similarities was their unquenchable passion for technology. The two expressed that they have devoted their entire lives to the technology industry and are endlessly fascinated by the possibilities of computers.

They were pioneers in their industry, and their dedication to their field has had a profound impact and played a significant role in the world we live in today.

When asked, “If you had to give just one piece of advice to entrepreneurs,” he thought for a moment and said one thing.

‘Patient’

He told us to cultivate patience.

The more impatient you are with wanting results as soon as possible, the easier it is for your business to move in the wrong direction.

The three action steps I chose while looking at dozens of pages of dense notes.

As always, when you meet people who are at the top of their field, they come out holding dozens of notes in their hands. Because it can be a lesson learned over a long period of time and the best strategy book. It is not necessary to just write down everything you say in order to capture it. Grab the core of the message you want to convey, write down keywords, and transfer them onto paper so as not to miss the ideas that come up and disappear like smoke.

As a habit, at the end, I write down the content that crossed my mind the most and the action steps that I will definitely remember and apply in the future, organized into three. This is because it is very likely that it is the part that I need the most at the moment or the content that I overlooked even though I knew about it. Of course, I never forget to go home (or hotel) the same day and quietly think over and reflect on all the notes. Then, outline a more detailed business plan and create an action plan to apply.

What I want to share here are the three action steps I wrote down at the moment when hot heat filled the conference room. I am still applying it while running my own business, and while mentoring the CEO, I also teach people who would benefit from it how to apply and use it.

1. Obsess with customer experience.

Regardless of what field you’re in, whether it’s the IT-related software industry, retail, or insurance, people are willing to pay a premium for services or products that provide a better experience. So, you need to talk to your customers and listen directly to their feedback. The more we focus on customer experience, the more satisfied customers will naturally increase, which will eventually be converted into money and profits. Customer experience always comes first.

We have been in business for 8 years and have been regularly talking directly with customers and receiving feedback. We focus on deeply understanding what customers truly want to achieve, their desires, and desires, and creating services and products that fit them. Many companies claim to have ‘customer-centered management,’ but when they actually conduct consulting, there are many cases in which it is not possible to understand which part of customer-centered management they are implementing. In such cases, I suggest drawing a customer experience map.

2. Don’t waste your time with amateurs.

Don’t cooperate with half-baked amateurs. Working with Steve Jobs at Apple, what I witnessed from him was not wasting time with amateurs. You need to collaborate with experts. There is nothing more precious than time.

We are not a megaton company like Apple or Microsoft. However, just because a business is small doesn’t mean it can’t collaborate with experts. One of the soft skills you need to develop while running a business is ‘an eye for seeing people properly.’ It doesn’t happen all at once, but it is developed by being stabbed in the back by people, and I think that the longer the career, the longer it takes to experience all kinds of people and look at the history, experience, failure, and success of the expert who wants to cooperate. I, too, am currently continuing to make efforts to get to know experts.

Amateurs here refer to companies that are not backed by sufficient experience and do not have proven results, or people who do business only with personal knowledge.

3. Build a team around the dream you want to achieve.

No one can achieve their dreams alone. To build a great company you need a great team.