Quotessence
Home / Authors / Steve Ballmer
Steve Ballmer

Steve Ballmer Quotes

Businessman

Filter quotes by topic

AllPeopleThinkingCompanyMicrosoftWayWantEconomyYearsIfsInnovationLooksWorldCustomersFirstsKindSoftwareCloudsShareTechnologyWindow

Famous Steve Ballmer Quotes

“"There's no CEO for the government." But if you were CEO for a day at the government, would you have tools and reports and wherewithal to look at government the way a business would look at its lines of business, its spending, its revenue? I've actually been working, first by myself and then with a group of people, on then on and off, and now much more on, almost since the I time left Microsoft.”

PeopleIfsWayFirstsLooksGovernmentLeftLinesGroupsToolsSpendingReportsCeoRevenueMicrosoftAnd OffTime Left
Author:Steve Ballmer
Create image

“The company [Microsoft] really has to chart a direction in mobile devices. Because if you're going to be mobile-first, cloud-first you really do need to have a sense of what you're doing in mobile devices. I had put the company on a path. The board as I was leaving took the company on a path by buying Nokia, they kind of went ahead with that after I told them I was going to go. The company, between me and the board, had taken that sort of view. Satya, he's certainly changed that. He needs to have a clear path forward. But I'm sure he'll get there.”

IfsNeedsFirstsKindViewsCompanyPathTakenClearChangedLeavingCloudsBoardsBuyingDevicesMobileMicrosoftNokiaSatya
Author:Steve Ballmer
Create image

“I don't have a lot of experience running basketball teams.I'm just trying to get smart enough even to understand everything going on. As much of a fan as I am, I haven't played the game since ninth-grade. If you told me when I bought the team that there were 12 kinds of pick and rolls, I would've told you I have no frickin' clue about that.”

IfsTryingKindEnoughRunningGamesTeamFansHavensBasketballSmartPicksGradesClueBasketball TeamNinth Grade
Author:Steve Ballmer
Create image

“Look at the product pipeline, look at the fantastic financial results we've had for the last five years. You only get that kind of performance on the innovation side, on the financial side, if you're really listening and reacting to the best ideas of the people we have.”

PeopleIfsYearsLooksKindIdeasLastsSidesResultsEconomyFiveProductsListeningPerformancesInnovationFinancialFantasticFive YearsReactingPipelineLast Five YearsFinancial Results
Author:Steve Ballmer
Create image

“The one thing that I think separates Microsoft from a lot of other people is we make bold bets. We're persistent about them, but we make them. A lot of people won't make a bold bet. A bold bet doesn't assure you of winning, but if you make no bold bets you can't continue to succeed. Our industry doesn't allow you to rest on your laurels forever. I mean, you can milk any great idea. Any idea that turns out to be truly great can be harvested for tens of years. On the other hand, if you want to continue to be great, you've got to bet on new things, big, bold bets.”

PeopleIfsThinkingWantYearsMeanIdeasHandsBigsTurnsWinningForeverOne ThingIndustrySucceedMilkNew ThingsPersistentMicrosoftGreat IdeaLaurels
Author:Steve Ballmer
Create image

“We'll get a chance to go through this [Apple versus Microsoft debate] again in phones and music players. There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. It's a $500 subsidized item. They may make a lot of money. But if you actually take a look at the 1.3 billion phones that get sold, I'd prefer to have our software in 60% or 70% or 80% of them, than I would to have 2% or 3%, which is what Apple might get.”

IfsLooksMayMightChancePlayerSharePhonesBillionsDebateSignificantApplesSoftwareLots Of MoneyVersusItemsMicrosoftIphone
Author:Steve Ballmer
Create image