Acquired
Acquired

Microsoft Volume II

July 21, 2024

AI Summary

5 min read

🎙️ The Voices & The Context

  • The Format: This is a deep-dive narrative podcast episode, structured as a chronological history of Microsoft from 1995 to 2014. It's a mix of storytelling, business analysis, and historical reflection, hosted by Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal.
  • The Key Players:
    • Ben Gilbert: The primary narrator and researcher, who guides the story with a focus on the strategic and cultural shifts within Microsoft.
    • David Rosenthal: The co-host, who provides counterpoints, asks clarifying questions, and helps frame the narrative, often challenging the conventional wisdom about Microsoft's "lost years."
  • The Vibe: Educational and Revelatory. The hosts are on a mission to correct the common narrative that Microsoft's middle era was a total failure. The tone is analytical but engaging, with moments of genuine surprise and excitement as they uncover a more complex and successful story than the public remembers.

🗝️ Key Themes & Topics

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:00) **🎙️ Introduction: Microsoft Volume 2**
  • 2 (04:12) **The Internet Era Begins: Windows 95 & the Missing Browser**
  • 3 (13:44) **The "Embrace and Extend" Memo & The Birth of Internet Explorer**
  • 4 (28:29) **The Nuance of IE's Creation & The Antitrust Shadow**
  • 5 (40:36) **The Browser War & The Macworld Deal**
  • 6 (48:38) **The Microsoft Antitrust Saga**
  • 7 (65:11) **Bill Gates' Deposition & The Breakup Verdict**

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

In 1999, Microsoft became the most valuable company in the world. And in 2019, Microsoft became the most valuable company in the world, again. But… what happened in the twenty years in between? The answer, as we discovered in our research, is probably not what you think.

In this episode we explore and analyze the browser wars and the DOJ case, Windows XP through 8, Surface, Xbox, search, Yahoo!, Bing, the iPhone, Nokia, mobile, social, Facebook… and oh yeah, a little thing called Azure and the enterprise — which ended up becoming so big that no failures mattered. Tune in for Microsoft, Volume II.

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‍Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.

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