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Acquired
Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal
205 episodes
2 weeks ago
Every company has a story. Learn the playbooks that built the world’s greatest companies — and how you can apply them.
Show more...
Technology
Business,
Investing
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All content for Acquired is the property of Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Every company has a story. Learn the playbooks that built the world’s greatest companies — and how you can apply them.
Show more...
Technology
Business,
Investing
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Microsoft Volume I
Acquired
4 hours 22 minutes
1 year ago
Microsoft Volume I

Microsoft. After nearly a decade of Acquired episodes, we are finally ready to tackle the most valuable company ever created. The company that put a computer on every desk and in every home. The company that invented the software business model. The company that so thoroughly and completely dominated every conceivable competitor that the United States government intervened and kneecapped it… yet it’s STILL the most valuable company in the world today.

This episode tells the story of Microsoft in its heyday, the PC Era. We cover its rise from a teenage dream to the most powerful business and technology force in history — the 20-year period from 1975 to 1995 that took Bill and Paul from the Lakeside high school computer room to launching Windows 95 alongside Jay Leno and the Rolling Stones. From BASIC to DOS, Windows, Office, Intel, IBM, Xerox PARC, Apple, Steve Jobs, Steve Ballmer… it’s all here, and it’s all amazing. Tune in and enjoy… Microsoft.

Sponsors:

Anrok: https://bit.ly/anrokacquired
WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25
Statsig: https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig24

Links:

  • Congress changing copyright law in 1980 to include “computer programs”
  • Acquired “classic” on Microsoft’s 1987 acquisition of Forethought / PowerPoint
  • Quartr's charts on Microsoft's revenues, market cap, IBM comparison, and more
  • All episode sources

Carve Outs:

  • LGR
  • André 3000’s new album + GQ Interview
  • Meta Ray-Bans
  • Visual Designer Julia Rundberg
  • Summer Health


More Acquired!:

  • Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodes
  • Join the Slack
  • Subscribe to ACQ2
  • Merch Store!

© Copyright 2015-2025 ACQ, LLC

‍Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.

Acquired
Every company has a story. Learn the playbooks that built the world’s greatest companies — and how you can apply them.