Microsoft oneweek 2015 eBook by Gapingvoid

//oneweek

This ebook records some key events at //oneweek 2015,

Satyas monthly Q&A; a global hackathon, new products expo and speakers corner.

These are the specifics, but overall, theres a mindset shift happening at Microsoft.

More to follow.


//oneweekHow does a one-hundred thousand person company invent what has never been done before?By adopting a growth mindset. By empowering ways for people to deliver their personal best on a massive scale. By creating an environment that honors a new philosophy about how we work. And by understanding that amazing products and services are really created through very individual, very human beliefs.


//oneweek//hackathon

The point of hackathons is not to invent the next big thing. Sure, its been known to happen occasionally, but thats not the main point.The main point is to come together as One Microsoft, collaborate like crazy to make dreams real. And remind us what were really capable of when nothing comes in between ourselves and our A game.


Automated farming via technology

Imagine turning all those abandoned warehouses and factories in post-industrial areas into productive farmland, by filling their empty spaces with hydroponic farms, to grow lettuce, tomatoes, flowers, etc.

And then wiring each hydroponic mini-farm to sensors that monitor the health and status remotely, saving labor, cost and perhaps most importantly, water.

Sure, its a model that is a way off from being financially viable. But as megacities increase in size and number, as demand for local produce becomes more of an issue (especially where water is scarce), this points to a more sustainable future.




The computer hack is to Microsoft what the brush stroke was to Picasso- it is our basic unit of value. Microsofts success comes from innovation. That innovation comes from insatiable curiosity, from taking risks and finding comfort with uncertainty. And in the wee hours hacking around a problem on the way to innovation. Hacking is our currency. Hacking is what makes us world class. When we lose that, we lose the company.


Windows 10 Launch//oneweek//product expo

A major highlight of //oneweek was the Windows 10 launch. A platform released by Microsoft to #upgradeyourworld.

People are very fond of talking about the Big Things that technology can do to change the world. But its the little things we do that really do the most good over time. We can make a difference on this planet. One human life, changed for the better forever. Not a bad unit to measure ourselves by.


When thinking about Mobility First, its too easy to get stuck, worrying about the hardware. The phone, the tablet, whatever. But Mobility First is much bigger than that. Its not about what you carry, its about how you live. Unencumbered.

//oneweek//product expo



The definition of beauty in a software platform (PC, phone, tablet, whatever) is not in the molecules per se. It is in how much easier it makes the cloud to engage with. How much easier it makes people (and organizations!) able to transform their lives for the better.


Products come, products go. What was hot last week was already forgotten this week. The journey, however, remains. The journey is unending. Thats what real innovation means. Thats what the industry respects.



A startup competition for Microsofties//oneweek//science fair

Microsoft employees showcased their startup ideas in exchange for votes to win.

Its not about just creating more stuff to sell. Its something far more important. At the end of the day, if we havent helped people lead more meaningful lives, then we have failed.


Raspberry Pi around the house//oneweek//science fair

Cook smart is a project that uses Raspberry Pi with Windows 10, Microsoft Azure, and mobile phone to make it so people can get dinner started before they get home.


Wearables that make us feel safe//oneweek//science fair

Hold is a project that uses the Microsoft band to make people feel safe when they are in a dangerous area, by allowing friends to follow along with them and giving haptic feedback to the user that makes if feel as if their hand is being held.


When I was a kid, I hated reading. But I loved drawing. Maybe things would have been different if I had both.

OneNote for Learning hacks learning with audio, interactive tools like highlighting, and Microsoft Research magic to help you understand stuff better.

So kids with learning disabilities dont fall behind the rest of us.

Congrats team. And thanks. This is what real customer obsession looks like.

Winning Hack: OneNote for Learning//oneweek//science fair


//oneweek//science fair

The point of software is not just to do stuff faster. The point of software is to make it easier for people to achieve more, more than they ever thought possible. Otherwise were just wasting other peoples lives. Without our humanity, we are nothing.


//oneweek//speakers corner

A random lot of authors and artists were invited to talk, including myself. I think the overriding theme was this idea of empathy, creativity, humanity.

Everything may just mouse click away nowadays. The being said, the human condition is still with us. We still have suffering, we still have disease and sadness and inequality. We still have a lot of work to do.


Nick Romero started his company, The Ave, on a blank sheet of paper after seeing some cool t-shirt designs. He decided he was going to learn everything he could about t-shirt printing.

He then wondered if the t-shirt process could be applied to shoes. He developed a device that holds a shoe in place for the printer to spray ink on. Everyone passed on his idea. This didnt stop Nick.

Not everyone is going to like your products, and not everyone is going to like you. he said.

He eventually made a pair of Breaking Bad shoes that went viral. The Ave started receiving massive orders. Other celebrities started wearing them like Danny Trejo, Sofia Vergara, and Johnny Knoxville.

The rest is history.

//oneweek//speakers cornerNick Romero


//oneweek//speakers cornerJane McGonigal

The opposite of play isnt work its depression.

Take video games seriously. Video games help inspire people to tackle tough challenges. Help people learn fast from failure. Gamers experience positive emotions like creativity, contentment, awe, wonder, love and joy.

And play offsets negative emotions. Scientifically, what happens in gamers brains while playing is the exact opposite of depression. The reward motivation center is activated, every game has a clear goal.

As two people play, they both start making the same facial expressions. Breathing and heart beats sync up. The only other instances of brainwave syncing are in dancing and moving heavy furniture. Playing video games help us like each other more, offer and ask for more help. more empathy.


//oneweek//speakers cornerJoshua Davis & Lorenzo Santian

The classic David and Goliath, I really loved this one.

Joshua Davis, a national journalist, calls Lorenzo Santian, a high school hacker. He and some other kids made a robot out of $800 and spare parts. Codename Stinky because it smelled so bad.

At a robotics competition, Stinky began leaking. The kids realized thought up the idea of using tampons to absorb leaks.

The idea is: always be thinking differently. Thats what innovation is all about. Lorenzo didnt expect to win, and ended up beating MIT for first prize, to a standing ovation.


Satya reinforced the need for all of us to approach our roles with a growth-mindset. To learn and push ourselves in new directions to foster growth.

He specifically made two points about what hed personally like to help make happen as CEO. Remove all obstacles leading to innovation.2. Focus on that which makes Microsoft truly unique. Sales, customer satisfaction and delivering value to shareholders are all great external markers to have, and Microsoft does very well by them. But those are the rewards, not the thing itself. The game is innovation. The game is changing the world. The game is being the company no other company can be the one no competitor can get near. And winning the game starts with the right mindset a growth mindset.

//oneweek//Satya Nadella Q&A


Satyas message for Microsofts employees was very simple. External markers are all very well and good, but real success begins on the inside. Real success begins when we find meaning in our work.




A big part of a successful working life is in the search for meaning. Does what I do matter? Is it making a difference? Is it worth all the sacrifice? The answer may be yes or no, one thing itll never be is static. Meaning changes over time, as we evolve, as we learn, as we fail, as we gather wisdom. What worked last year may not work so well this year. Getting comfortable with uncertainty is a good thing. Which is exactly how it should be. If we hold on to our ideals too strongly, they suffocate. Meaning is a work in progress. Stay strong, but stay flexible. Stay curious and open to ideas. Most of all, keep learning.


Do More is easy. Any fool can add another job to the list. Do More Meaningful is hard. Because it requires you doing stuff that matters. The path to meaningful requires being open to uncertainty, even failure. But thats what makes it worth fighting for, dont you think?



Satya spoke about fans, not customers. A big shift for Microsoft.

Were obsessed by customers, but a true fan is a gift. They are to be cherished.



Software is just a lot of ones and zeros, processed through a little microprocessor, made from little more than common sand. And yet, here we are, helping the world create billions of dollars worth of extra value to the human race, every day. Even only a few decades ago, that wouldve been considered miraculous. They say the mark of a good entrepreneur is somebody who can create something out of nothing. As we have proven many, many times, you can say the same thing about a decent coder.



Microsoft oneweek 2015 eBook by Gapingvoid

Business

Transcript of Microsoft oneweek 2015 eBook by Gapingvoid