The Sinofsky Memorandum

The last 48 hours have been shocking to say the least (not to mention they changed my writing plans). The news of Windows President Steven Sinofsky’s abrupt leaving of Microsoft has already caused ripples; Microsoft’s stock fell a few dollars down. 

With the general availability of Windows 8/RT and Surface, I have decided it is time for me to take a step back from my responsibilities at Microsoft. I’ve always advocated using the break between product cycles as an opportunity to reflect and to look ahead, and that applies to me too.

Steven Sinofsky

Sinofsky leaves the company with a mixed reputation and legacy; a brilliant engineer he served as Bill Gates’s assistant and was said to have convinced him to introduced TCP/IP in Windows 95. He also has a reputation as a solid deliverer of product with the ability to fix broken divisions. Sinofsky also has a reputation for not playing well with others and a penchant for secrecy.

The whole affair has lead to the obvious comparisons to Apple’s dismissal of iOS chief Scott Forstall, another divisive yet dependable deliverer. Also many are saying Microsoft has lost it’s Steve Jobs; the one man at Microsoft with the ability to deliver quality product in a timely fashion.

So someone please cue up the Microsoft is Doomed/Lost/Stagnate posts for later.

I cannot pretend I am sad about the passing of the torch. I have been persona non grata with the Windows division for the entire time that Sinofsky ran it. Many long-time Microsoft employees, managers and testers have expressed similar sentiments, mostly in private. Here’s hoping to better days, in terms of how the Windows client team interacts with all of its constituents: Its customers, partners and us Microsoft watchers. 

Mary Jo Foley “Who is Julie Larson-Green? Meet the new head of Windows.”

To say reaction has been mixed would be an understatement. Many Microsoft watchers such as Mary Jo Foley reacted positively to the news; Sinofsky’s style closed off some sources of information and blocked inquiries. For developers, especially those in the .Net and Silverlight worlds like Matt Baxter-Reynolds, Sinofsky was a scourge hampering developers with introducing the Windows Run Time. And yet others like Microsoft’s Dare Obasanjo saw Sinofsky as a leader to be emulated.  

In the immediate aftermath, Julie Larson-Green will take over as head of Windows division, which also oversees the Surface; Larson-Green currently heads User experience (how it looks) and has worked with Sinofsky since his days as head of Office. So for all those thinking that Sinofsky’s leaving will see an end to Windows 8 and the new Start screen and even the Surface; better luck next time.

The way things get done in Steven’s organizations is so straightforward it hurts. You spend some time thinking about what you want to build, you write it down so the entire team has a shared vision of what they’re going to build and then you build it. The part where things become contentious is that getting things done (aka shipping) requires discipline. This means not changing your mind unless you have a good reason to after you’ve decided on what to build and knowing when to cut loses if things are coming in late or over budget.

Dare Obasanjo “Steven”

The question now is what next for the Windows platform? For all his faults, Sinofsky delivered in ways unmatched by many at Microsoft. He managed to turn around both of Microsoft’s two biggest divisions and deliver major products on time. The issue facing Microsoft is will it ever have someone at the helm that can deliver in this area. There’s also the vision issue; what is Windows story going forward. The one question facing Sinofsky wasn’t about delivering a product or engineering, but the level of innovation and imagination also necessary. With Windows 8, Microsoft is moving the platform toward the consumer market in ways it hasn’t in the past. The current and next head of Windows must look beyond the enterprise and developers and think about the consumer market. There is also the Surface which further moves the dial. 

Sinofsky for all his controversy brought a level of discipline needed to run a large enterprise like Windows; the transparency and hard choices he brought to the table helped fix issues plaguing the Windows division. Now the question shifts to who can bring that same focus as well as vision to the division. 

Let me leave you with links to articles that provide better background than me along with both Steven Sinofsky’s last message to the troops and CEO Steve Ballmer’s internal remarks.

Windows Leadership Changes (Part 2): Steven Sinofsky by Paul Thurrott

Windows Leadership Changes: Steve Ballmer by Paul Thurrott

Sinofsky’s departure from Microsoft: Politics or products to blame by Mary Jo Foley

How Steven Sinofsky changed Microsoft, for better and for worse by Ed Bott

Shocked by exit of Microsoft’s Sinofsky? You shouldn’t be by Jay Greene

Why Steven Sinofsky is out at Microsoft by Peter Bright

For Windows developers, Sinofsky’s legacy is fragmentation and frustration by Matt Baxter-Reynolds

A Microsoft Misfit Moves On: Thoughts on Windows Chief Sinofsky’s sudden exit by Todd Bishop

Steven by Dare Obasanjo

 

 

 

image: WinSupersite

Steven Sinofsky,Watch the Throne

This post came about because of two articles and a tweeter conversation. The articles, by Reuters; Microsoft’s next Steve: Windows boss faces biggest test; and Business Insider; Meet the next CEO of Microsoft: Steven Sinofsky Is The Heir Apparent; are profiles on Microsoft’s President of Windows and Windows Live Steven Sinofsky. There’s a third by Geek Wire; Microsoft’s Next CEO:If not Steven Sinofsky, Then who?; but that just expands on the Reuters article to discuss succession plans in Redmond. The articles are pretty balance overviews on the career of the man widely touted as the next head of Microsoft.

Now the only reason these pieces were written is because today the consumer beta of Windows 8 is being released. For those that don’t know Windows 8 is the next big release of Windows from Microsoft; and essentially its response to iOS and Android. This is a big release for both the company and Sinofsky. For Microsoft, Windows 8 is a large point about remaining relevant in the consumer computer market and the growing mobile computing space.

 

 

Image, Business Insider

 

For Sinofsky, the former head of Microsoft’s Office division, Windows 8 is a chance to show he can deliver a great consumer product and has the vision to deliver an original experience.

Steven Sinofsky is a polarizing figure in Redmond. On one hand he is largely credited with turning around the Windows division after the Longhorn/Vista debacle. He is able to ship in a timely manner; making sure what’s done works. Sinofsky is also credited with streamlining bureaucracy (cutting out middle management roles) bringing focus. But on the other hand he is seen as a technician, with no clear vision of what’s next. Sinofsky also is one of those people who falls under the Does not play well with others category. Its rumored that he was one of the reasons Ultra Mobile PCs had a hard time. Additionally his style of management has led to an exodus of employees. In that conversation I mentioned earlier (which was with Scott Barnes a former Microsoft evangelist riagenic.com) it was about Sinofsky’s lack of vision.

My take on Sinofsky is that he is a product guy with the ability to handle large sprawling projects. Is he a Jobsian tech guy with visions of Dieter Rams running through his head? Not enough data. The one thing I get from both articles is that he is cognizant of shifts in technology (the most famous incident involves the Internet). Sinofsky’s issues will be, especially if he wants the big chair, working with others and allowing ideas not his own to flourish. Also he is going to have to find a way to meld his style of management to the needs/wants of Microsoft’s culture.

On the other hand it seems a lot of Microsofties (as they are called) haven’t been aggressive or smart in protecting their necks. Here I’m thinking of J Allard, Andy Lees, and others in the Consumer side. From a purely business survival sense, they should of aligned skills with Sinofsky. I keep thinking what if Allard had worked with Sinofsky on the Courier (Microsoft’s other tablet idea); Windows 8 brings a lot of improved under the hood stuff that could have messed well with the ideas the Courier was aiming for. The biggest reason Sinofsky is where he is is because he ships and ships on time. He delivered and this is the reward.

Now the question is can he do that one more time.