Geeky alpha males – the sequel
January 30th, 2006I started to post a comment on the previous thread and realized that it was too much for a comment, It’s actually a follow up:
I loved the part where Bill Gates says that Steve bosses him around. That gets a belly laugh.
Being a true geek, I’ve done much reading and research about both Apple and Microsoft. Apple was founded by two geniuses. (Steve Jobs would probably be working as a doorman at an art gallery or selling Mercedes if not for Steve Wozniak.) The story of Apple and Jobs is almost magical.
Microsoft, on the other hand, was founded by a rich, autistic nerd. He was born with a silver spoon. He’s the richest man in the world and for no good reason. He got it by being ruthless and unethical. He’s never produced anything of value to the world. (That’s a slight exaggeration. He did create BASIC. Maybe I should change that to “he hasn’t produced anything of value to the world in over 30 years.”) I can argue, convincingly, that Microsoft has set the world back and hindered the development of technology. I can do that because it’s true. He’s a master of marketing and has no other real skill. It certainly helps to start rich and have nothing to lose.
There’s no doubt in my mind that I could “boss around” Bill, too. Despite being the richest man in the world, he lacks the confidence of having achieved anything. Because he hasn’t. He’s a fraud and he knows it. The nicest thing I could say about Bill Gates is that he’s shrewd. Two decades ago, he was groveling and licking boots at Apple just trying to get “in.” Then when he did, he pulled a knife and has been twisting it ever since he inserted it. Steve has pulled himself up from relatively nothing over and over. He’s made mistakes and learned from them. That’s what makes a man.
Bill Gates deserves nothing he has and he knows it. Steve Jobs has earned everything he has and he knows it. That’s why Bill can never be comfortable and Steve always has been.
Steve Jobs has earned everything he has and he knows it.
I think that most clearly defines the confidence behind an alpha.
Plus they are sexy without trying.
Too true, Heidi.
Hmmm, I didn’t know that about Gates.
Good to know.
“He’s a master of marketing and has no other real skill.”
In business no one gets paid till the sale is made.
From what I understand Apple is a far better piece of equipment at nearly every level of functionality and techniquel ability. A point I write on my MS Word program. Most computer users don’t need the best, we’re simply happy with a machine that does what we want it to do for work or for entertainment.
Apple thought that getting free computers into the hands of kids and educators would build life long brand loyalty. MS thought getting computers in the hands of business people would make sales. Business people like myself only care about the details when they effect the bottom line. So if my word processor, processes and my spreadsheet balances and the power point makes the presentation, I’m happy.
Gates figured out that businessmen aren’t about to listen to a geek rattle off 200 features in geek speak, especially when the geek can’t tell you how all those gigamawhatizits will help your business.
Gates has a PC with a processor and a accounting/finance program. Steve Jobs has a computer with an accounting and finance program. Job’s package has a quadamizillion processor rate that performs a bazillion to the 100th power calculatory functions per nanosecond. Job’s package is 3 generations ahead of anything Gates could make.
Gates has a computer system that has a accounting/finance software program that reduces my costs by reducing the number of clerks that I need by 75% saving me $500,000 per year in transactional expenses while improving my customer service.
Gates also has the sale.
Based on the opinions of friends that have the ability to evaluate Apple v MS, I have no doubt that Apple is the far better product, but no one has figured out how that is going to benefit me as the consumer. Or if they have they don’t know how to tell me about it.
“He’s a master of marketing and has no other real skill.”
That one skill makes the difference between being profitable and being a distant second. No one stays in business by being smarter and more talented. They stay in business by being profitable.
You’re completely misunderstanding, Res. I was being generous when I said Gates is a master of marketing. It would be more precise to say that he’s a master of market positioning. He’s done that through unethical and sometimes illegal business practices. Every product Microsoft has ever produced has been an inferior copy of something else already on the market.
Incidentally, Apple has always been quite profitable under Steve Jobs’ direction. The stock has been outperforming Microsoft’s for quite some time and the current EPS is higher than Microsoft’s.
Bill Gates is also a robber baron.