Empire Built From Code: Microsoft’s Rise, Rivalries & Reinventions

Bill Gates and Paul Allen’s code obsession started in Lakeside School, but their real genius lay in striking licensing deals with IBM that locked Microsoft into the DNA of every personal computer.

Unknown to most, their battles moved from the keyboard to the courtroom, as Microsoft’s “embrace and extend” tactics drew fierce legal fire and nearly divided the company in the US government’s landmark antitrust showdown.

Steve Ballmer’s arrival injected volatile energy—his on-stage antics and “developers!” chants became infamous inside Redmond. Microsoft insiders recount deeply competitive divisions, epic product flops (like Zune and Windows Phone), and the nail-biting resurrection brought by Xbox and Azure.

With Satya Nadella’s empathetic leadership restoring growth mindset and cross-team innovation, Microsoft reinvented itself again, collaborating with old rivals and opening a new chapter for the tech empire.