Even the greatest CEOs can make mistakes or have regrets. Satya Nadella, the Microsoft CEO, recently revealed this and revealed which decision he would rather not have made or would have made differently.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella caused a surprise with an admission. In a recent interview with Business Insider*, he not only talked about his tasks and challenges at the tech giant, but also revealed his biggest mistake. Looking at the present, his decision was more than surprising.
Nadella: “One of the most difficult decisions I have made”
Satya Nadella has been leading the tech company’s fortunes as Microsoft CEO since 2014 and is basically responsible for all important decisions. If you look at the portfolio, you will find all sorts of products: operating systems, laptops, PC hardware, office services, etc. But one thing is missing: smartphones.
He was the one who decided in 2017 that Windows Phones would be scrapped. On the Interview questionWhen asked whether he regrets a decision in retrospect, the CEO replies: “The decision that I think a lot of people are talking about – and one of the most difficult decisions I made when I became CEO – was our exit from what I was called the cell phone back then. In hindsight I think there could have been ways to make it work […].”
Looking back today, a fatal decision. Smartphones are omnipresent and an integral part of our everyday lives. If development had continued, Windows Phone might now be an alternative to Android and iPhones. But of course these are all just speculations.
More articles
What could Windows Phone do?
At the beginning of the 2010s, Microsoft presented the first Windows Phone in cooperation with Nokia. Windows Phone served as the operating system, which was gradually integrated into Nokia devices.
50€ cashback
Get €50 cashback for your 4-in-1 ink multifunction device
But the operating system was doomed to failure early on. While the system itself wasn’t all that bad, there were issues with third-party software that were simply in short supply. In addition, Android and iOS were superior in many respects and sometimes more far-sighted. The Windows Phone business was therefore not profitable. So it was no wonder that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella pulled the ripcord and scrapped Windows Phone 2017 once and for all, even though he regretted the decision in retrospect.
Also interesting: Bill Gates reveals which Android smartphone he uses
A revival of Windows Phone is not in sight. Microsoft itself has on its Support page written that users should switch to an Android or iOS device.
* Transparency note: Like TECHBOOK, Business Insider belongs to Axel Springer SE