EP30:Deep Into - Source Code
20:41 Share

Welcome to our deep dive into Bill Gates's source code.

Now, this isn't your typical autobiography, you know, just laying out events like one after the other. It's not just a timeline. Yeah. It's structured so we get a story and then his reflections on it like years later. Yeah. It's like we get two Bill Gates for the price of one. You've got the young, ambitious Bill and then present day Bill looking back on things. Exactly. So be prepared for some unexpected stuff. We're not just talking like pure coding genius here. Right. We're going to unpack how everything from...

like playing cards with his grandma to almost getting kicked out of Harvard. Oh, yeah. Shaped his path. It really is fascinating, you know, how all these seemingly random things end up like weaving together this tapestry of, well, ambition for sure, resilience, and, you know, maybe a touch of luck too. Okay, so let's start right at the beginning. There's this story about a tornado.

It hits his neighborhood when he's young, totally flattens their carport. Oh, right. And it really shows the contrast between his parents' personalities. Yeah, his mother, Mary, she was like super image conscious. So you can imagine her reaction wanting to downplay the whole thing. Oh, totally. But his father, he was the opposite. Ready to throw a barbecue right there in the wreckage. Huh?

It's funny because Bill specifically says his mom set all the clocks in the house like eight minutes ahead. So everyone would be on mom time. Wow.

And family dinners, they weren't just about the food. Right. There were these mini seminars, topics like matching funds, conflict resolution, you know, serious stuff. It says a lot about the environment he grew up in. I think most people, they picture Bill Gates as this tech prodigy, you know, alone in his room, just coding away. But his family played a huge role, shaping his ambition, his outlook on the world, all that. Absolutely. And speaking of influential family members, we have to talk about Bill's grandmother.

Gummy. Oh, yeah. She was, uh, well, a force.

Bill says she's the reason he loves games, cards especially. Yeah. Apparently she was practically unbeatable, like almost had a sixth sense for strategy. Oh. He even talks about her coaching him during games, teaching him to, you know, anticipate his opponent's moves. It's almost like she was preparing him for programming without even realizing it. Yeah. That strategic thinking, breaking down complex problems. Absolutely. And beyond the card games, she was, you know, really principled, instilled in him a love of learning so that,

Those constant trips to the library, the encouragement to like explore the world through books. Those were formative experiences. They really fostered his intellectual curiosity. It is incredible how these early influences from his parents, his grandmother, they created this connection.

blend this ambition, that intellectual rigor and a real drive to make a difference, you know. Sure. Not something you'd usually associate with a tech giant down the line. It really challenges that stereotype, the lone wolf coder, you know. Success, it's rarely a solo act. And Bill's story definitely shows how those early relationships, those experiences, they really set the stage for, well, everything he achieved. And then comes Lakeside School.

This is where his fascination with computers really, really takes off.

But interestingly, it wasn't all smooth sailing for him right away. No, actually, he describes struggling to fit in, at least initially, this skinny kid, squeaky voice, you know, trying to find his place in this elite prep school. He even tried playing class clown, which predictably didn't really work out. I can imagine. He mentions one teacher, geography, who is also the football coach and wrong answer in class, geography.

drop and give him 10 push-ups. Oh my God. Not exactly the ideal environment for, you know, intellectual growth. No, not at all. But then Lakeside got its first computer. It was a clunky teletype machine connected to some time-sharing computer all the way in California. Okay. And that changed everything for Bill. It's amazing to think

Something as simple as access to a computer could have such a, well, a profound impact. It was a total revelation for him. He describes writing his first program, just a simple tic-tac-toe game. But he felt like he'd unlocked the secret world. And this wasn't just about learning to code, you know, it was discovering a passion, a way of thinking, a whole new language to express himself with. And it's in that computer room that he finds...

his people, so to speak. He meets Ken Evans, his best friend at the time. They were both so bright, so ambitious.

dreaming of, you know, leaving their mark on the world. Yeah. Kent was really important in pushing Bill to think bigger. They weren't content just messing around, you know. They were diving deep into programming, constantly challenging each other, learn more, do more, achieve more. And then they get this incredible opportunity to work with a PDP-10. It was at a company called C-Cubed. They had unlimited computer time. I mean, talk about a dream come true. Right.

They basically became monkeys with hammers, as Bill puts it, spending hours and hours testing systems, finding bugs, just totally immersed in the world of code. This is all while they're still in high school, right? Yeah. It's kind of mind-boggling, their level of focus, their dedication at such a young age.

It really was. And it wasn't just raw talent. It was that relentless pursuit of knowledge, the drive to to push the limits of what was possible. They were laying the foundation for all those skills that would define their careers. Focus, problem solving, you know, that ability to just break down these complex challenges and not give up until they had a solution. But even with all that success.

there were, well, stumbles along the way, like they got banned from C-Cubed for hacking into the system. Right. Which was, you know, a bit of a wake-up call about ethics and responsibility. Yeah, it's interesting how that early experience with, well, the consequences of their actions. Yeah. It kind of foreshadows the ethical dilemmas that Bill faced later on building Microsoft. Right. It's a reminder that even brilliant minds, they have to grapple with the implications of their work, you know? Absolutely. But

But despite that setback, they didn't let it stop them. They started the Lakeside Programming Group, selling dick tapes, analyzing traffic data, basically becoming little entrepreneurs. Right. They were already applying their technical skills to, like, real-world problems. Yeah. Figuring out the complexities of business. And it's pretty clear Bill wasn't just a tech whiz. Yeah. He had this natural instinct for business. Oh, yeah. He was already thinking about how to turn his passion into more than just a hobby. Absolutely. But then tragedy struck.

Kent, Bill's best friend, his partner in all of this. Yeah. He died in a climbing accident. It was a devastating loss for Bill. Yeah. He channeled his grief into his work. You know, he finished the scheduling program they'd been working on together. It's a really poignant moment in the book. You see Bill's vulnerability, his grief, but also his resilience. It's an experience that would shape his approach to work, to partnership in the years that followed. Around this same time,

Bill's connection with Paul Allen deepened. They started talking about microprocessors. Yeah. These tiny chips that they believe could like completely revolutionize computing. Yeah. It was the beginning of their, well, their legendary partnership. And what a partnership it turned out to be. These two young guys driven by this shared passion, this vision. Yeah. They were about to embark on this journey that would change the world. So he left off with Bill heading to Harvard.

Kind of unsure about what he wanted to study, but with this growing feeling that computers, you know, they were going to be a big part of his future. I mean, are we really surprised? Not really, no. His first move, pretty predictably, was heading straight for the Aiken Computation Lab. Of course. It's Bill Gates, right? He wouldn't be caught dead in the library on day one. Well, actually, he did spend a lot of time in libraries, just, you know, not on that particular day.

But it's interesting how he approaches the lab director, Tom Cheatham. He basically spins this like elaborate story about his programming experience full of, you know, youthful confidence. I can just picture him that that bit of Lakeside Bravado is still there. Yeah. Trying to impress the gatekeeper to the tech wonderland. Exactly. And Cheatham, he was a seasoned veteran, not easily swayed. But after a good solid half hour of Bill just, you know, laying it on thick, he grants him access.

And what does Bill find there? I bet it wasn't some dusty old mainframe from the Stone Age. Nope. He finds a PDP-10, a computer he was already familiar with, connected to ARPANET, the precursor to the Internet. Imagine that, being a student at Harvard with access to that kind of cutting-edge tech. It was like a breeding ground for innovation. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. All the stars aligned for him.

But even with all that, Harvard wasn't exactly a walk in the park for Bill. He even says the academic rigor was kind of a shock to his system. Yeah. He even enrolled in Math 55, a course known for being incredibly tough, like one of the most challenging math courses in the country. And he survived. That's impressive on its own. He did. But not without, you know, pulling some all-nighters. Yeah. Fueled by pizza, I'm sure. It was

It was really humbling for him to realize even in that environment, he wasn't necessarily the top dog in math. It's good to remember even the brightest minds have areas where they need to stretch and grow. Yeah. So he's challenging himself academically. Yeah. But was he still like...

obsessed with computers? Oh, absolutely. He gets permission to work on this ambitious project, creating a 3D baseball game using an older computer in the lab. Sounds like he was using his academic pursuits to, well, further explore his passion for computers. Win-win, right? Exactly. He got an A for the project. But even Bill admits he didn't quite achieve his initial vision for it. It's a good reminder. Even for someone like Bill Gates, there are always learning curves.

And setbacks. So how did he manage it all? Juggling the tough coursework, these coding projects, and trying to have some kind of social life? Well, not always gracefully. He talks about skipping organic chemistry lectures, thinking he could just cram later during reading period. Oh, no. Yeah, it backfired. He ended up with a C, his lowest grade ever. I bet that didn't go over too well with mom and her mom time. Ouch. That had to sting, even for Bill Gates. It's a good reality check.

Genius or not, he was still a young guy figuring things out. Even his advisor called him precocious, which Bill initially took as an insult. But later on, you know, he realized it was pretty accurate. So by the spring of his freshman year, he's already questioning his path at Harvard.

He even applied for jobs at DEC and Honeywell. It's interesting, though. It sounds like he applied more for the confidence boost than anything else. Like he wasn't truly ready to give up on that dream of working with Paul Allen, starting their own company. He turns down the job offers.

But the experience kind of solidifies his desire to pursue entrepreneurship. The pull of the tech world was just too strong. It was a pivotal moment. He recognized that his true calling wasn't, well, in academia. It was in building something new, something that could change the world. And this is where the seeds of Microsoft are really planted. The personal computer revolution was brewing, and Bill and Paul, they found themselves right at the forefront. But before they drop out of Harvard, start coding in a garage.

There's one more important thing. During Bill's sophomore year, remember his cramming habit? Oh, right. This is where we see Bill's internal struggles. He describes having this recurring dream, he still has it even to this day, of being at Harvard late in the semester, totally unprepared for exams. That's fascinating, like a manifestation of all that pressure he'd pull in himself. Yeah, it's a reminder. Even geniuses aren't immune to the stress of college.

And it speaks to his ability to perform under pressure, even if it, well, came at a cost. So he's cramming for exams, exploring different academic fields, still obsessing over computers with Paul. Sounds like a recipe for burnout, honestly. Maybe. But then fate intervenes. Paul bursts into Bill's dorm room with a copy of Popular Electronics magazine. It had the Altair 8800 on the cover. And that changed everything. The Altair 8800. This was like...

a game changer. It was the world's first mini computer kit and it just it captured the imagination of hobbyists, tech enthusiasts, everyone. It was the spark that ignited the whole personal computer revolution. And for Bill and Paul, it was a golden opportunity.

They saw the potential right away. They realized if personal computers were going to take off, they needed software. And they were the perfect pair to write it. Here's the thing. They didn't even have an Altair or the chip to run it. But Paul, he comes up with this brilliant idea to simulate the chip on Harvard's PDP-10. So they're basically hacking their way into creating software for a computer they don't even own. Resourceful.

to say the least. It really shows their ingenuity and their willingness to, you know, push the boundaries. They got another student involved, Monty Davidoff, and worked day and night at the Aiken Lab, racing against time to create Microsoft Basic. The software that would become the foundation for so many early personal computers. It was a high stakes competition and they won. Paul flew out to Albuquerque with their program on a paper tape and it

It worked perfectly on the Altair. It was a defining moment. Validation of their vision, a sign of what was to come. So here they are. They've achieved this incredible thing. They've created this groundbreaking software. They're on the verge of something huge. But Bill's still technically a Harvard student. So what happens next? Does he finally take the plunge? Dive headfirst into this world of personal computers. That's what we'll uncover in the final part of our deep dive.

Okay, so we're back, and things are really heating up for Bill and Paul. Their basic interpreter is a hit, the Altair 8800 is flying off the shelves, and the personal computer revolution is in full swing. It was a wild time for sure. You know, the world was suddenly paying attention to this little company, Emite's. People were calling them the IBM of home computers. Wow, high praise. Yeah. But, as we know, things weren't like all sunshine and roses. Because, let's be real, Emite's wasn't exactly a tech giant, right? No.

Not really. They'd kind of put all their chips on the altar, so to speak. And while it was a success, they weren't exactly, you know, a powerhouse. And Bill, even amidst all the excitement, he was already sensing some potential problems. Yeah. He realized that if a big player like IBM or Texas Instruments decided to enter the market,

Well, MITense wouldn't stand a chance. Exactly. So while everyone else was celebrating, Bill was already thinking ahead, you know, playing the long game. So he's got this amazing software. He's watching the personal computer market just explode. But he's also aware of how fragile their situation is.

So what does he do? He does what Bill Gates does best, plan for the future. He knew that for Microsoft, and remember, that's how they spelled it back then, with a hyphen. For Microsoft to really make it, they needed to become independent, sustainable. Which meant not depending on MITES, right? They had to branch out, establish their own identity. Exactly. So they started looking for their own office space separate from MITES.

And they began working on new software products. They understood that to, well, to control their own destiny, they couldn't be reliant on a single company, no matter how successful that partnership seemed at the time. And it sounds like that shift in focus caused some friction with their minds. Oh, yeah, definitely some growing pains. Bill, with his, you know, sharp business sense.

was laser focused on things like contracts, royalties, making sure the company had a solid long-term strategy.

Paul, brilliant technical mind though he was, wasn't as interested in that side of things. It's that classic story, you know, two partners with different strengths, different priorities. Must have been tough navigating those differences. It was. Bill even talks about asking for a bigger stake in the company. He felt like he was carrying more of the weight, especially on the business side. I bet that wasn't an easy conversation. No, but they managed to work through it, which, you know, says a lot about their respect for each other and their shared commitment.

But then things went from bad to worse when Pertek bought out Emite's. It was a total disaster as far as Bill and Paul were concerned. Pertek, they believe they own the rights to Microsoft's basic software. So they just they stopped paying royalties. So they essentially cut off their main source of income. Yeah, basically.

Wow. Talk about a crisis. They're trying to build this company. The whole personal computer market is exploding around them. And suddenly, they've got no money coming in. It must have felt like the rug was pulled out from under them. Totally. But Bill, being Bill, he refused to back down. He knew they had a strong legal case and he was rebelling.

ready to fight. He even mentions a meeting with Pertek's lawyers that turned into a shouting match. Oh, yeah. He was furious. They threatened to, you know, ruin Microsoft's reputation. But Bill held his ground. He knew he was in the right legally and he wasn't going to let them bully him. And he was right. They went to arbitration and Microsoft won big time.

David versus Goliath. It was a huge turning point. It freed them from inites and allowed them to start licensing their basic software to other computer makers. So that opened up a whole world of possibilities. It did. They landed deals with Commodore, Apple, even Texas Instruments. The personal computer market was becoming more and more diverse. And Microsoft was right there becoming the go-to software provider for this whole industry. They were riding the wave, but they were also shaping it.

Bill even talks about meeting Steve Jobs for the first time at a computer fair in 1977.

He describes jobs as like this force of nature full of energy, even back then. It's such an interesting glimpse into the early days of what would become, well, one of the most famous rivalries in tech history. Two visionary leaders who would go on to have such a huge impact on the world. So Microsoft's doing great. They've broken free from MI. They're at the heart of the personal computer revolution. What's next? They decide to move.

from Albuquerque to Seattle. Okay. Paul wanted to be closer to his hometown, and Bill saw the advantages of being near the University of Washington and the growing tech scene in the Pacific Northwest. So in early 1978, they pack up their Porsches and head north. Bill even mentions getting a few speeding tickets along the way. Ah!

Sounds like a classic entrepreneurial road trip, right? Full of ambition, a little bit of uncertainty, and the promise of something truly amazing. It's the perfect image to capture this moment in their story. They're young, they're driven, they've got this world-changing technology. Right. And they're leaving the past behind, heading toward a future full of potential.

And it's in Seattle that Microsoft truly becomes the global tech giant we know today. Yeah, it's a new era, one filled with triumphs and challenges, ups and downs. But through it all, Bill Gates never stopped innovating. He never lost his faith in the power of technology. It's been quite a journey exploring Bill's story from those early card games with his grandmother to the founding of Microsoft to the personal computer revolution.

We've seen how ambition, intellect, and yeah, a little bit of luck can come together to shape a life and ultimately change the world. What strikes me is how Bill was able to connect all these seemingly different experiences, those early moments with his family, the setbacks at Harvard, the challenges of building a company. Right.

and turn them into opportunities to learn and grow. - He wasn't just a brilliant programmer, he was a leader, a negotiator, and he never stopped learning. He was always pushing boundaries, questioning assumptions, and adapting to the, well, the constantly changing tech landscape. - And that might be the most important takeaway from his story.

Success, it's rarely a straight line. It's about embracing challenges, learning from mistakes, and always keeping your eye on the bigger picture. Absolutely. So as we wrap up our deep dive into Bill Gates' source code, I'm left feeling, well, inspired.

It's a story that reminds us that even in the midst of all this technology, it's the human spirit, you know, that drive to create, to innovate, to make a difference that really moves us forward. And it leaves us with something to think about. What if things had gone differently? What if Bill had never had access to computers? What if he'd stayed at Harvard? How would our world be different today? It's a fascinating question, and it really highlights how much impact individuals can have. Thanks for joining us on this deep dive into the life and legacy of Bill Gates.

Until next time, keep exploring, keep questioning, and keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible.