Steve Ballmer: Scaling the digital revolution
From Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith by Microsoft, Brad Smith
April 3, 2025 · 26 min · Season 4 · Episode 5
About this episode
Brad Smith interviews Steve Ballmer about his journey at Microsoft and the traits that contributed to his success.
Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s CEO from 2000 to 2014, was instrumental in scaling the company from a small 30-person startup to one of the most valuable companies on the planet. Ahead of Microsoft’s 50th anniversary, I had the chance to catch up with my former boss. We talked about the early days of Microsoft and the pitch that convinced him to take a chance on a small company in a new industry. We also discussed how three traits—irrational confidence, realism, and persistence—have helped him succeed at Microsoft and today as the owner of the LA Clippers.
People in this episode
Host: Brad Smith
Guest: Steve Ballmer
Topics covered
- digital revolution
- Microsoft history
- leadership traits
- business growth
- sports ownership
Keywords
- Steve Ballmer
- Microsoft
- digital revolution
- business growth
- leadership traits
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Microsoft, LA Clippers
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