In his new book, 'Source Code,' Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates reflects on his early days at the company, revealing that he didn't feel truly successful until the late 1990s. Gates recounts the intense pressure he felt, working 80-hour weeks and constantly fearing that any misstep would cost Microsoft its position in the personal computer revolution.
Bill Gates, worth over $250 billion, recalls the first time he truly felt successful: He was 42, and he'd already been a billionaire for over a decade. 'I wouldn't say that I felt comfortable that we were successful until about 1998 or so,' Gates tells CNBC Make It. That was 11 years after Gates took the helm of Microsoft, which he co-founded in 1975.
In his new book, 'Source Code,' which publishes on Tuesday and covers his life from childhood through the early days of building Microsoft, Gates writes about regularly working 80-hour weeks coding software and constantly worrying that any slip-up would cost Microsoft its place at the forefront of the personal computer revolution. 'Not until the late-90s did I feel like, 'Wow, we can even make a few mistakes and still be OK,'' Gates says. 'I thought I was one mistake away from death until then. That was just my mentality.'Gates credits the company's success to a few key factors, including the exceptional talent of his team and the timing of the personal computer boom. 'We were lucky,' he admits. But he also recognizes the role of hard work and dedication. He worked relentlessly, often sacrificing personal time and leisure. 'I was always running scared,' he says. 'So whenever Microsoft would anniversaries, I'd be like, 'I have no time to look backwards.'' Today, Gates says he recognizes the irony: He spent decades convinced his startup was one mistake away from abject failure, even as he grew it into one of the biggest companies in the history of the world. That disparity isn't unique to Gates — many successful people have 'prodigious amounts of productive paranoia,' leadership expert says. Such hard-charging intensity can drive a company forward, and help a startup grow into a company with staying power. But finding a good balance can be difficult. Too much hyper-fixation on potential negative outcomes can create paralysis and prevent people from taking risks and pursuing opportunities. He spent decades convinced his startup was one mistake away from abject failure, even as he grew it into one of the biggest companies in the history of the world. That disparity isn't unique to Gates — many successful people have 'prodigious amounts of productive paranoia,' leadership expert says.
BILL GATES MICROSOFT SUCCESS PARANOIA LEADERSHIP
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