First Impressions : Bill Gates

I've been in meetings with Bill before. Big meetings, like company meetings and product launches. I've even been in the same conference rooms during reviews etc., but I've never sat down at the same table with him and talked about product plans like yesterday.
People who think that Bill is no longer a factor in the goings on at Microsoft are mistaken. Bill commands the respect of everyone in the room. It's interesting to watch someone at the top of the pile carry on. The room was full of C level and VP executives, and yet, they all take notice and stand at attention when Bill talks. He is still the chairman of the board, but it's more than that. People know that what he says, goes.
I've heard others talk about how quickly Bill just gets stuff. His intellectual horsepower has been raised to the status of legend by now. He certainly does pick up on things quickly, and I may be a bit jaded at this point, because Microsoft is full of very smart people, but I also noticed that he got some things wrong, or simply doesn't get some things that most everyone in the room understands well. The review topic was sensitive, so it's not something I can discuss openly, but one example is his question and consequential assertions related and contrary to a business intelligence topic that's very well understood.
This past year has been a great experience for me personally. I've sat in multiple conference rooms with CIOs, VPs and other high level executives on a regular basis. There was always a certain level of healthy angst and nerves. A certain buzz that keeps everyone on their toes and interested. But, until yesterday, I've never seen quite the level of nervousness, attention, and respect given to one individual.
Overall, I enjoyed watching it all play out. The fate of a Microsoft project can turn on a few words from Bill and everyone in the room will go away with their own set of quotes to bolster their position or tear down competitive projects. In the end, the company is bigger so the effect of Bill's influence is felt more broadly, but perhaps it doesn't penetrate to the bottom the way it once did. That's probably what people are thinking when they say Bill is no longer a factor in the goings on at Microsoft. But those in the room with him yesterday would adamently disagree.