By the end of my tenure, the stock price staying flat was frustrating, especially after tripling the business in a decade.

When I became CEO, the dotcom bubble was bursting, antitrust issues dominated the company's culture, and we faced a significant accounting headache that affected profitability.

I was forced out as CEO after a period of rapid growth, which was influenced by market changes and compliance issues that made investors nervous. David, the CEO, focused on attacking me for six months, which ultimately drove the company into the ground.

I raised 1.6 million and obsessively built the company for three years, achieving 8.4X growth in one year, which led to a position where I didn't need the money when I went to raise again.

When we sold broadcast.com to Yahoo for $5.7 billion in stock, I was focused on protecting my investment from the market bubble.

I held onto my Microsoft stock because of loyalty, and I wanted to be the best investor, staying informed about the company even after leaving.

In 2010, despite two years of rapid growth, I failed to accept that our startup's growth had plateaued, which ultimately led to our downfall.

We explored going public through a reverse merger, and within a year, we uplisted to the American Stock Exchange and later to NASDAQ, marking a significant milestone for the company.

The transition from stock options to stock awards at Microsoft was crucial for employee motivation and addressing cultural issues after the dot-com bubble burst.