Microsoft President Brad Smith recently joined the GeekWire Podcast for a special conversation at GeekWire’s Microsoft@50 event at Town Hall Seattle. As the tech giant marks its 50th anniversary, Smith reflected on its journey, addressed pressing challenges, and shared his insights into what lies ahead for the company and the industry.

Tracing Microsoft’s evolution from its early days to its current mission of empowering people, Smith quoted CEO Satya Nadella: “If you want to be cool, go work for Apple. If you want to make other people cool, come work for Microsoft.” He highlighted a defining trait shared by Microsoft’s three CEOs — Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and Satya Nadella — that he believes epitomizes great leadership: curiosity.

Smith didn’t shy away from tough topics, addressing Microsoft’s antitrust history and the current geopolitical tensions reflected in a protest during the event over the company’s technologies being used to support Israel in the ongoing war in Gaza.

He also expressed concern over new tax proposals in Washington state, cautioning that they could stifle the innovation and job growth that have driven the region’s success. “I have, frankly, never been more worried about the future of the tech sector in Washington state as I am today,” Smith said.

Key takeaways from the conversation:

Microsoft’s Early Mission: “A computer on every desk and in every home running Microsoft software.” The goal was to make technology useful and accessible to everyone.
Surviving Antitrust: “My conversations with Bill would usually start by him telling me that I was about to destroy the company, and then he would be supportive.”
Learning from Failure: “What it took to put all those challenging things behind us was to fail gracefully with people, so you could put the pieces back together again.”
Leadership Across Eras: “All three of our CEOs embody a common attribute present in most truly great leaders: curiosity.”
Economic Pressures in Washington: “You can’t have a healthy company without a healthy community, but you can’t have a healthy community without healthy business. And that, I believe, is at stake.”
Microsoft’s Global Role: “We want the people of Ireland, South Africa, Poland, and elsewhere to know that they can count on us. We aim to be a source of stability, even in unstable times.”
The Importance of Product Builders: “If truth be told, the people that matter most are those who design and build the products. That has never been me.”
Looking Ahead: “The challenge of year 51 is the same as it has been for all 50 years: you’ve got to win a year, a year at a time.”

As Microsoft steps into its next chapter, Smith’s reflections offer a glimpse into the values and vision driving the company forward. The road ahead may be uncertain, but the spirit of curiosity and innovation remains its guiding force.

Listen the podcast here.