Living in fear of Microsoft

One of the questions I am often asked by Microsoft partners is if I am afraid that Microsoft would try to kill me, in a joking way of course. Doesn’t the stuff here piss them off to no end?

In a nutshell, no.

Microsoft is an interesting organization to work for. They don’t really have intermediary points of contact, you’re either dealing with someone very high up that will forget the conversation as soon as it’s over or someone so low on the totem pole that the issue will never float up either high enough or to the person that can initiate it’s resolution. The people in the middle use blogs and public opinion to justify asking for resources and opening up internal conversation and action requests. If you’ve ever worked with a Microsoft product group you know they are very feedback oriented and whenever they need to make a call they look for the number of people that it will affect, how to best solve the problem, find a compromise, etc. Microsoft’s corporate and business divisions don’t have that “problem” they are just trying to make more money.

I know through working with a number of Microsoft people that they actually really enjoy the blog because it stimulates feedback and gets them the information that they otherwise wouldn’t get. You see, partners by nature would rather be quoted in the press with something good so they can get more leads or a PAM favor than try to push Microsoft in a direction that makes both of us more successful.

You should blog. No, Microsoft won’t kill you. There are good people there that are doing their best to make it better every day.

The Problem

Microsoft needs to be aware of the problems that are causing it’s partners to desert them. As good as things are right now, we are all looking at other options. Why?

The main problem with Microsoft is that it is not spending it’s time or talking about writing business software. Microsoft is in a panic mode trying to address the Google, Amazon, Apple issues while we, their business partners, are stuck with the same old garbage with the more attractive UI.

Most of us would be perfectly content if you could just focus on writing software.

But that’s not the kind of a company Microsoft is. We will compete. Against Apple. Against Sony. Against Google. Against Amazon. Against Adobe. Against the entire Open Source movement. Against the government. Against users themselves. What we can’t compete with we will buy. We will run around with our sword until we collapse on the floor in the pool of our enemies blood and feces.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to WPC, you’re standing in the blood and feces of the overzealous competitive Microsoft that is crumbling at its foundation while an all out assault is being launched by all the competitors Microsoft couldn’t work with and chose to fight.

If you do anything this week: Remind Microsoft why you are a partner, and ask them to focus on the areas where we are already making money together so we can work together in the future.

Or there is no future together with Microsoft.

Your move Steve.