Steve Ballmer reflected on his iconic "Developers! Developers! Developers!" chant from the early 2000s, originally intended as a strategic call for Microsoft to engage third-party developers. Frustrated with the company's self-image as merely a platform provider, Ballmer sought to shift company culture towards recognizing the importance of developers outside Microsoft. He emphasized the necessity of building relationships with external developers to enhance and expand Microsoft's offerings, particularly against competitors like IBM and Linux.
"I was just frustrated with myself and my inability to get people out of, 'We're just a platform company,'" Ballmer said, emphasizing the need for cultural change.
"You have to be able to communicate that you really care about developers who are not your own," highlighting the importance of external developers.
"Ballmer shouted the word 'developers' over and over, hoping to drive home a simple message: Microsoft needed third-party developers to survive."
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