“Writing also makes you process memories in a different way. You have one idea and then remember another. It’s like each one is a cow in a field, and you have to round them all up.” – Michael J. Fox
The other day I mentioned to a friend that I was reading Bill Gates’ latest book Source Code. He responded with something along the lines of, “Oh, right, that book. He’s trying to reform his image.”
Living in Seattle, it’s hard not to have an opinion about Bill Gates. So many of my close friends work for or have worked for Microsoft or the Gates Foundation. I spent many years working at Microsoft as a consultant. We feel like we know him because we’ve crossed paths with him in so many ways. We’ve lived in the same neighborhoods Bill grew up in, hiked the same trails, and/or went to the same schools.
From my perspective, Bill changed how engineers like me were compensated. He’s 14 years older than me. By the time I graduated from the University of Washington with my electrical engineering degree, I benefitted from the ripple effect of the Microsoft practice of giving stock options to everyone in the company. No longer were just senior management and sales people compensated for growth, but the technical people were as well. It raised the bar for paying everyone in the region.
He also led a company whose culture allowed for, and possibly grew, egotistical bullies as long as they were smart. Other business ventures he’s been involved with have pushed their weight around in less flattering ways too.
So the ripple effects from Bill Gates are felt strongly here. Some positive and others less so.
Source Code only covers his first 20 years. Is he trying to polish up his image? Possibly. My writer and reader heart likes his book for the digging deep to understand where his story started. It seems like an honest effort.
(featured photo from Pexels)
You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram @wynneleon
I host the How to Share podcast, a podcast about how to share anything – to the appropriate audience, with the right permissions, at the most opportune time.
I also co-host the Sharing the Heart of the Matter podcast, an author, creator and storytelling podcast with the amazing Vicki Atkinson.
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