With 1 Sentence, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Just Taught a Master Class in Recognizing Opportunity | Inc.com
BY MINDA ZETLIN, AUTHOR OF 'CAREER SELF-CARE: FIND YOUR HAPPINESS, SUCCESS, AND FULFILLMENT AT WORK'@MINDAZETLIN
Microsoft released its quarterly earnings this week, and the news was very, very good. Revenue was $56.5 billion, up 13 percent from this time last year, and profit was $22.3 billion, up 27 percent from last year. Just a few days earlier, ahead of releasing these figures, CEO Satya Nadella posted his annual letter to shareholders on LinkedIn, which Microsoft owns.
The letter is almost entirely about artificial intelligence, as you might expect if you've been keeping track of Microsoft or its CEO. It's no secret that the company is making a huge bet on A.I. And, about 10 paragraphs in, within his list of three convictions he says will help keep Microsoft successful, is a cogent explanation of why:
Because we know that maximum enterprise value gets created during platform shifts like this one, we will invest to accelerate our lead in A.I. by infusing this technology across every layer of the tech stack.
Maximum enterprise value gets created during platform shifts like this one. Within the letter--which goes on for a hefty 4,506 words--you could easily fail to notice this comment. And yet it can tell you everything you need to know about how to look at opportunity and at risk.