Wikipedia

Steven Sinofsky

Steven Jay Sinofsky(born 1965)[1]is an Americanbusinessman,investor and software engineer. He served as president of the Windows Division atMicrosoftfrom July 2009 until his resignation on November 13, 2012.[2][3]

Steven Jay Sinofsky
Sinofsky making a "7" hand gesture at the announcement ofWindows 7
Born1965 (age 59–60)
New York City
EducationCornell University(BA)
University of Massachusetts Amherst(MS)
Known forPresident, Windows Division atMicrosoft
PartnerMelanie Walker

In 1998 and in 2013, Sinofsky was a visiting scholar atHarvard Business Schoolwhere he worked with students enrolled in a second year class on technology product development taught byMarco IansitiandStefan Thomke.[1]

As of 2012, Sinofsky is a board partner atAndreessen Horowitz,where he serves on boards of investments.[4]

Early life

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Steven Sinofsky was born in New York City in 1965 to parents Marsha and David Sinofsky. Growing up, Sinofsky attendedLake Brantley High SchoolinAltamonte Springs, Florida.[5]

Education and early career

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Sinofsky attained hisBachelor of ArtsfromCornell University,after graduatingcum laudein 1987, with a dual major inchemistryandcomputer science.He pursued his postgraduate education at theUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst,where he studied underJ. Eliot B. Mossin the area of object-oriented languages and databases,[6]and acquired aMasters of Sciencein computer science in 1989.[5]He also spent 3 semesters learning Russian while he was in college.[7]

In the summer of 1984 and 1985, Sinofsky interned at Martin Marietta Data Systems (nowLockheed Martin) inOrlando, Florida.He deployed some of the firstIBM PCXT/3720 computers and taught theC programming languageto full time engineers.[8]

Career

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In July 1989, Sinofsky joinedMicrosoftas a software design engineer where he was the project lead on the first versions of theMicrosoft Foundation Classes C++for Microsoft Windows andMicrosoft Visual C++.[9]

He later served as a technical assistant to Bill Gates.[10]Sinofsky was actively involved in recruiting for Microsoft and improving employee retention. As part of this, he took regular trips to university campuses to interview and recruit students.[11]Sinofsky hasbloggedin detail about his efforts atSteven Sinofsky's Microsoft TechTalk.The blog also covered topics like what it is like to be aMicrosoftemployee and what new hires needed to know about Microsoft,Bill Gates,Steve Ballmer,andWindows.[12]

After becoming stuck by a snowstorm inIthacaduring a recruiting visit to his alma mater Cornell University in 1994, Sinofsky noticed that both faculty and students at the university were widely using the newly adopted internet to communicate and study. This was a dramatic change from his time at Cornell that relied on the mainframe program CUInfo for information access. He summarized his excitement in an email and memo, "Cornell Is Wired!" which he distributed, encouraging Gates to take the emergingWorld Wide Webseriously.[11]This led to led to Gates' "Internet Tidal Wave"memo and the creation of Internet Explorer which began" the internet consumer revolution ".[13]

In 1994, when the Office Product Unit was formed, Sinofsky joined the team as group program manager,[14]to oversee the development ofMicrosoft Office.[15][16]The charter of the team was to create a suite of products with consistent design and engineering. During this time, the suite transitioned from beingend user-focused to being an enterprise product.[17]He also oversaw the last release of 16-bit Office,Office 95,Office 97,Office 2000,Office XPandOffice 2003.Under Sinofsky, features like theribbon UI[16]andClippywere added.[18]The product expanded to includeOutlook,Visio,OneNote,andSharePoint.[5]In 1998, Sinofsky was promoted to vice president of Office and then to senior vice president in 2000.[19]

Windows division

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Sinofsky moved to the Windows division in 2006, where he led the Windows Experience Team, which included Windows user experience and online services such asHotMailandMessenger.He was described as being "charged with nothing short of remaking the very image of Windows" and improving the efficiency and punctuality of releases.[16]

He became the president of the Windows division in July 2009. Sinofsky and Jon DeVaan led the development ofWindows 7,the next major version of Windows to come afterWindows Vista.Windows 7 proved to be a major success, with a rapidly growing user-base of over 450 million,[20]and its launch contributed to record-breaking revenue earnings for Microsoft in 2010.[21]Sinofsky and DeVaan blogged about the development process on the Engineering Windows 7 blog.[22]

While at Windows, Sinofsky blogged extensively about the project's goals and the development process as a way to communicate with the over 4,000 person team and the rest of Microsoft,[23]ultimately publishing over 1,000 pages of blogs.[24]

Sinofsky's philosophy on Windows 7 was to not make any promises about the product or even discuss anything about the product until Microsoft was sure that it felt like a quality product. This was a radical departure from Microsoft's typical way of handling in-development versions of Windows, which was to publicly share all plans and details about it early in the development cycle. Sinofsky also refrained from labeling versions of Windows "major" or "minor", and instead just called them releases. Sinofsky's leadership style influenced many other Microsoft divisions to follow his principles and practices on product development.[16]

Sinofsky subsequently worked on Windows 8, which was intended to modernize Windows. Many of its design changes were meant to allow it to scale across PC and mobile interfaces in response to the rising popularity of touchscreen devices over PCs.[25]Among the most notable changes was the reinvention of Windows for the ARM processors then in use in the iPhone and later the iPad.[26]This was widely viewed as both innovating and a challenge to the Microsoft-Intelpartnership.[27]During development, he regularly blogged about the feature set and the process of developing the new OS in his blog,Building Windows 8.[28]

A key element of the effort on ARM processors was the development of a Microsoft ARM-based computer to prove the potential. Sinofsky quietly created an internal team to develop the Surface computers,[29]initially two models Surface RT and Surface Pro, for Nvidia ARM processor and Intel respectively.[30]

Windows 8 launched to mixed reviews,[31][32]and was deemed a failure by commentators, including Sinofsky himself. However, he also expressed his belief that Windows 8 was simply "too much, too soon,"[25]and noting that "being early is the same as being wrong."[33]Some aspects of Windows 8, including live tile menu interfaces and screen edge swiping, became standard components of mobile operating systems.[25]

Sinofsky left Microsoft on December 31, 2012,[34]after the failed launch of Windows 8.[31]His departure was described by both parties as a mutual decision,[3]but some news outlets speculated that it was the result of friction between himself and CEOSteve Ballmer.[35][36]Technology websitesArs TechnicaandZDNETdrew attention to the sense of staffing changes that occurred after theWindows 8rollout, and the abrupt manner of his departure.[37][38]Sinofsky was succeeded byJulie Larson-GreenandTami Reller.[39]Microsoft disclosed in an SEC filing that Sinofsky would have a one-year non-compete contract in exchange for an estimated $14 million of stock.[40]

After Microsoft

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In 2012, Sinofsky joined the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz as a board partner.[4]He is an angel investor, and has invested inTanium,[41]Product Hunt,[42]Everlaw,[43]andBox.[44]

Writing

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Sinofsky is known for writing about the technology and startups on various online platforms.[45]In 2013, he started the blog "Learning by Shipping", which focuses on topics like business management and technology innovation.[46]

One Strategy

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Sinofsky co-authored the bookOne Strategy: Organization, Planning, and Decision MakingwithMarco Iansitiof Harvard Business School. It was published byJohn Wiley & Sonsin November 2009.[24]

The book discusses Sinofsky's struggle with refocusing the Windows Division after the Vista debacle, and the planning and development of the next major version of Windows that would come after Vista. Sinofsky talks about the focus of making a desirable high-quality product, while making no promises to the public, and shipping and delivering that product on time. The book was built around selected blog posts written by Sinofsky to communicate with the rest of the Microsoft team during the development of Windows 7. Sinofsky's personal insights and experiences recorded through the blog are interspersed with Iansiti's academic commentary on the challenges facing the team.[23][24]

It was well received by critics. Lisa Oliva wrote that it "provided a great balance between theoretical and practical explanations" in a review for theJournal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship.[23]

Hardcore Software

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In 2020, it was announced that Sinofsky was writingHardcore Software: Inside the Rise and Fall of the PC Revolution,a first-person account of the PC told through the projects Sinofsky worked on and the competitive and technology landscape at the time. It focuses on the company's history between the 1980s and the 2010s, as it transitioned from theearly home computerera to thePC revolutionand finally thesmartphoneera. The work details the emotions of creating "hardcore software" a reference to the 1988 recruiting slogan that brought Sinofsky to Microsoft.[47]Hardcore Softwarewas first published online in a serial format beginning in 2021.[48]

Personal life

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Sinofsky is in a relationship with neurosurgeon Melanie S. Walker, they reside inSeattle,Washington. In 2006, Walker joined theBill & Melinda Gates Foundationas senior program officer.[49]

References

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  1. ^ab"One strategy!: Organization, planning, and decision making / Steven Sinofsky, Marco Iansiti".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-08-23.Retrieved2011-08-23.
  2. ^"Microsoft Promotes Steven Sinofsky to President, Windows Division".Microsoft.com. 2009-07-08.Retrieved2012-11-16.
  3. ^abSavitz, Eric (2012-11-12)."Microsoft Shocker: Windows President Steven Sinofsky Out (Updated)".Forbes.Retrieved14 November2012.
  4. ^abPerez, Sarah (2013-08-22)."Former Windows President Steven Sinofsky Joins Andreessen Horowitz".TechCrunch.Retrieved2024-05-10.
  5. ^abc"Steven Sinofsky".Microsoft. July 8, 2009.Retrieved2009-07-08.
  6. ^"dblp: Steven Sinofsky".dblp.org.Retrieved2024-05-25.
  7. ^"Steven Sinofsky, Julie Larson-Green, Antoine Leblond, Michael Angiulo, and Chris Jones: BUILD Keynote – Day 1".Microsoft.com.Retrieved2012-11-16.
  8. ^Sinofsky, Steven."016. Filling the Void Left by IBM".hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com.Retrieved2024-05-12.
  9. ^"Sinofsky's History: 20+ Years of Milestones with Microsoft Windows".SiliconANGLE.2012-11-13.Retrieved2024-05-10.
  10. ^"Steven Sinofsky is writing his Microsoft story on Substack".thehustle.co.Retrieved2024-05-10.
  11. ^abShapiro, Scott J. (2023-05-23).Fancy Bear Goes Phishing: The Dark History of the Information Age, in Five Extraordinary Hacks.Farrar, Straus and Giroux.ISBN978-0-374-60118-8.
  12. ^Scoble, Robert; Robert, Scoble (2013-10-08).Unsere Kommunikation der Zukunft: BLOGS - Der Meilenstein in der Direktvermarktung(in German). FinanzBuch Verlag. pp.37–38.ISBN978-3-86248-838-4.
  13. ^"The Best Profile You'll Read On Steven Sinofsky, The Windows Boss Suddenly Leaving Microsoft".Business Insider.Retrieved2024-05-10.
  14. ^"Steven Sinofsky is publishing a" book "about his time at Microsoft".Windows Report.2021-02-01.Retrieved2024-05-10.
  15. ^Kniskern, Kip (2021-02-01)."Steven Sinofsky is publishing a" book "about his time at Microsoft".Windows Report.Retrieved2024-06-18.
  16. ^abcdFoley, Mary Jo (2008-04-15).Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft Plans to Stay Relevant in the Post-Gates Era.John Wiley & Sons. pp.80–82.ISBN978-0-470-38416-9.
  17. ^Sinofsky, Steven (2022-01-22)."Hardcore Software: When Microsoft Office Went Enterprise".Andreessen Horowitz.Retrieved2024-06-18.
  18. ^Chen, Steven Sinofsky, Frank (2019-04-27)."Clippy: The Unauthorized Biography".Andreessen Horowitz.Retrieved2024-06-18.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  19. ^"Microsoft Names Steven Sinofsky and Brian Valentine Vice President".Stories.1998-12-21.Retrieved2024-05-10.
  20. ^"Microsoft Sold 450 Million Copies Of Windows 7".TechCrunch. 2011-09-13.Retrieved2012-11-16.
  21. ^"Microsoft posts record-breaking Q2, thanks to consumers, Windows 7".NetworkWorld. 2010-01-28.Retrieved2015-10-16.
  22. ^kexugit (2020-02-07)."Engineering Windows 7".learn.microsoft.com.Retrieved2024-05-25.
  23. ^abcOliva, Lisa (July 2010)."One Strategy: Organization, Planning, and Decision Making".Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship.15(3):115–117.
  24. ^abc"One Strategy: Aligning Planning and Execution".HBS Working Knowledge.2010-03-22.Retrieved2024-05-10.
  25. ^abcEdwards, Benj (2022-10-26).""Too much and too soon" —Steven Sinofsky looks back at Windows 8, 10 years later ".Ars Technica.Retrieved2024-05-12.
  26. ^Arthur, Charles (2011-01-05)."'Windows 8' will run on ARM chips - but third-party apps will need rewrite ".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved2024-06-18.
  27. ^"Windows on ARM, Complete With Next Version of Office, to Arrive With Rest of Windows 8".AllThingsD.Retrieved2024-06-18.
  28. ^"Building Windows 8 – Site Home – MSDN Blogs".Blogs.msdn.com.Retrieved2012-11-16.
  29. ^Warren, Tom (2020-01-28)."Former Windows chief reveals Microsoft's reaction to the iPad".The Verge.Retrieved2024-06-18.
  30. ^Bhanver, Jagmohan S. (2014-11-10).Nadella: The Changing Face of Microsoft.Hachette India.ISBN978-93-5009-891-2.
  31. ^abJohnson, Dave (2012-11-27)."Windows 8: Revolution or disaster? - CBS News".www.cbsnews.com.Retrieved2024-05-12.
  32. ^Estes, Adam Clark (2012-11-13)."Microsoft Just Dismissed the Mastermind Behind Windows 8".The Atlantic.Retrieved2024-05-12.
  33. ^Sinofsky, Steven."108. The End of the PC Revolution [Epilogue]".hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com.Retrieved2024-06-18.
  34. ^"Item 5.02(e). Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers".2013-07-13.Retrieved2013-08-26.
  35. ^Arthur, Charles (2012-11-13)."Windows chief Steven Sinofsky pushed out of Microsoft".The Guardian.Retrieved14 November2012.Microsoft staff stunned as chief executive Steve Ballmer pushes out man many had seen as his successor
  36. ^Dunkley, Jamie (2012-11-13)."Mystery surrounds Windows president Steven Sinofsky's departure from Microsoft".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-05-25.Retrieved14 November2012.
  37. ^Bright, Peter (2012-11-13)."Why Steven Sinofsky is out at Microsoft: Of several plausible reasons, only one rings true".Ars Technica.Retrieved14 November2012.
  38. ^Foley, Mary Jo (2012-11-13)."Sinofsky's departure from Microsoft: Politics or products to blame?".ZDNet.Retrieved14 November2012.
  39. ^Thomas, Owen (2012-11-12)."Meet The Two Women Now Running Microsoft's Most Important Business – Yahoo! Finance".Finance.yahoo.com.Retrieved2012-11-16.
  40. ^June 2013 Microsoft SEC filing
  41. ^"Tanium Magic".Andreessen Horowitz.Retrieved2024-06-18.
  42. ^Sinofsky, Steven (2014-10-08)."Product Hunt: A Passion for Products, the Makers Behind Them, and the Community Around Them".Andreessen Horowitz.Retrieved2024-06-18.
  43. ^"Everlaw".Andreessen Horowitz.Retrieved2024-06-18.
  44. ^Bishop, Todd (August 29, 2013)."Guess who's advising Box: Ex-Microsoft exec Sinofsky helping Levie and team".GeekWire.
  45. ^McCracken, Harry (May 5, 2020)."Steven Sinofsky lived Microsoft history. Now he's writing it".
  46. ^Burke, Elaine (2013-01-04)."Former Windows head Steven Sinofsky is back with a blog on product development".Silicon Republic.Retrieved2024-06-18.
  47. ^Fried, Ina (May 5, 2020)."Ex-Windows boss Steven Sinofsky plans book on Microsoft days".Axios.
  48. ^"Sinofsky speaks! Former Microsoft exec to publish memoirs online".ZDNET.Retrieved2024-06-18.
  49. ^Bill Gates Met With Jeffrey Epstein Many Times, Despite His Past,nytimes.com, 12 October 2019

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