Mini-Microsoft had this to say about the recent Microsoft demo failure at CES:
Without consequences for failure, Microsoft product development see crap accepted as the very public norm and continue creating product that meet those expectations. How is it for all this Engineering Excellence that's been inflicted upon us we still achieve this mere modicum of mediocrity?
I'd expect BillG (or any embarrassed executive) to storm back to Redmond riding a roiling swirl of fire and brimstone and start firing such underperformers. And just when such just firings are revealed, you'd bet some folks will pull their fingers back from the keyboard and whisper "Holy Shit!" And rather than checking in their code to let testing find the bugs that round out the feature, they'll decide it's time to do a bit more of their own testing and write a few more automation and unit tests. And to dogfood a bit more intensely.
You know what: he's right! Why isn't their more accountability at Microsoft? Sure, many of their engineers are really smart... but for cripes sake: cut loose the dead wood. Then hire the best of the best from the extra 12,000 employees coming on board in Redmond. I'm not ready yet... but I will be. ;)
posted @ Tuesday, January 18, 2005 7:59 PM