Whats important to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer?
Snack food, bugs and software, apparently, according to a memo he sent Wednesday to the company’s customers. Ballmer’s e-mail memo is the second sent by a major Microsoft executive in what Microsoft plans to be an ongoing but periodic practice. Chairman Bill Gates in July sent the first installment, which focused on the company’s Trustworthy Computing security initiative. Ballmer took a lighter tack, but maintained an undercurrent of seriousness as he expressed concerns about Microsoft remaining responsive to customers. Under the heading “Software and Snack Food,” Ballmer acknowledged that Microsoft is the second place he has worked. “I marketed brownie mix and blueberry muffin mix for one of the largest consumer products companies,” he wrote. “I have great admiration for successful consumer businesses, and I believe Microsoft can learn from them.” He noted that consumer businesses spend a great deal of time learning about what their customers “want in cake mix, soft drinks, shampoo, a
