Hit Refresh: A Memoir by Microsoft’s CEO
Written by Satya Nadella
Narrated by Satya Nadella and Shridhar Solanki
4/5
()
Unavailable in your country
Unavailable in your country
About this audiobook
The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft’s Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone
Microsoft’s CEO tells the inside story of the company’s continuing transformation, while tracing his own journey from a childhood in India to leading some of the most significant changes of the digital era.
LONGLISTED FOR THE FT & MCKINSEY BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD
Satya Nadella grew up in India, studied in the US and went on to become Microsoft’s third CEO after Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. In Hit Refresh he offers a unique view of the transformation happening inside one of the world’s most iconic tech companies, and the arrival of the most exciting and disruptive wave of technology humankind has experienced – including artificial intelligence, mixed reality, and quantum computing.
Nadella examines how people, organisations and societies can and must transform – ‘hit refresh’ – in their persistent quest for new energy, new ideas, and continued relevance and renewal. Yet at its core, this book is about humans, and how one of our essential qualities – empathy – will become ever more valuable in a world where technological advancement will alter the status quo as never before.
Related to Hit Refresh
Related audiobooks
Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft's Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ask Your Developer: How to Harness the Power of Software Developers and Win in the 21st Century Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Strategy Rules: Five Timeless Lessons from Bill Gates, Andy Grove, and Steve Jobs Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Business of Platforms: Strategy in the Age of Digital Competition, Innovation, and Power Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gorillas Can Dance: Lessons from Microsoft and Other Corporations on Partnering with Startups Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChasing Digital: A Playbook for the New Economy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Do More Faster India: Techstars Lessons to Accelerate Your Startup, 2nd Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYou Only Have to Be Right Once: The Unprecedented Rise of the Instant Tech Billionaires Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Invent and Wander: The Collected Writings of Jeff Bezos, With an Introduction by Walter Isaacson Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alibaba: The House that Jack Ma Built Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All In: How Obsessive Leaders Achieve the Extraordinary Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Think Like Amazon: 50 1/2 Ideas to Become a Digital Leader Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Inside Larry's and Sergey's Brain Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5We Were Yahoo!: From Internet Pioneer to the Trillion Dollar Loss of Google and Facebook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Winners Dream: A Journey from Corner Store to Corner Office Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Azim Premji: The Man Beyond the Billions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Never Lost Again: The Google Mapping Revolution That Sparked New Industries and Augmented Our Reality Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Burger King: A Whopper of a Story on Life and Leadership Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Total Rethink: Why Entrepreneurs Should Act Like Revolutionaries Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5To Pixar and Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur's Vision of the Future Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Brand Custodian: My Years with the Tatas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Ambuja Story: How a Group of Ordinary Men Created an Extraordinary Company Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Leading Apple With Steve Jobs: Management Lessons From a Controversial Genius Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Startupland: How Three Guys Risked Everything to Turn an Idea into a Global Business Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Business Biographies For You
BMF: The Rise and Fall of Big Meech and the Black Mafia Family Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bitcoin Billionaires: A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Bond King: How One Man Made a Market, Built an Empire, and Lost It All Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Steve Jobs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5One Up On Wall Street: How To Use What You Already Know To Make Money In The Market Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sam Walton: Made in America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution: A Handbook for Entrepreneurs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Lego Story: How a Little Toy Sparked the World’s Imagination Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Walk Through Fire: A memoir of love, loss, and triumph Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Master of None: How a Jack-of-All-Trades Can Still Reach the Top Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Claim Your Confidence: Unlock Your Superpower and Create the Life You Want Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Marathon Don't Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Elon Musk: A Biography of Business, Success and Entrepreneurship Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Elon Musk Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Unstoppable Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beating the Street: How to Use What You Already Know to Make Money in the Market Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Black Founder: The Hidden Power of Being an Outsider Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Autobiography of John D. Rockefeller Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5DisneyWar Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Surviving My Birthright Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Reviews for Hit Refresh
125 ratings8 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hit Refresh is a refreshingly written account of the experiences of Satya Nadella from his school, university days to professional life at Microsoft. Surprisingly he talks about the importance of values like empathy and understanding in running an organisation, and which are at the core of the cultural transformation taking place at Microsoft. On the other hand he also identifies the various technological trends that will reshape the future of organisations like Microsoft.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Interesting read (or listen rather as I listened to the audio book). Some segments are read by the author which adds to the personality of the experience. He covers not only Microsoft but also trends and areas where technology has an impact such as privacy, AI, etc.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The book is well written. But to be honest there weren't a lot of takeaway. It felt almost repetitive at some point. Although the challenges he faced quite significant, even as an Asian (from understanding context perspective) sometimes they felt a little fluffy.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wonderfully written and narrated. Really loved it. Everyone should read it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Very balanced and matured perspective of technology . A Good Read !!!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I was curious about how Satya Nadella (the CEO of Microsoft) thinks about technology and Microsoft, so I asked for this book as a Christmas gift. I was quite surprised.
While he has formal education in electrical engineering and business (so he understands "technology" and tech businesses), I'd describe him as a humanist. To me, that explains a lot of why he has been such an inspiring and successful CEO.
He has thought deeply about why Microsoft exists, i.e. its mission. Why were Bill Gates and Paul Allen creating software back in the mid-1970s? Was it really just about getting a computer on every desktop (running Microsoft software)? He dug deeper and realized that the underlying goal was to give the power of computing to everyone, i.e. to _empower_ everyone, not just rich people or smart people. Then he translated that realization into a succinct one-page mission document for all of Microsoft's 100,000 employees.
The book might be summarized as, "Here's where I come from and how I think, so you can understand me." That makes it useful as a guide for Microsoft employees, partners and customers.
I'm not sure I'd want to work for the Bill Gates of the 1990s, or for Steve Ballmer. They seem too driven and too focused on winning at all costs. But Satya Nadella, I can totally understand why people would want to join his team. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Well written and interesting perspective from the inside of the technology industry. The chapters on security/privacy and AI are particularly relevant at the beginning of 2018 when I read this book.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/53 Stars for the book + 0.5 Stars for the extra scribbles and highlights in the Employee EditionFull disclosure – I didn’t read everything.This is definitely a book about Microsoft first and foremost (well, duh!). If you’re not interested, move along. What makes this book ‘worth picking-up’ is due to 1) Satya’s immigrant background, and 2) that his earnestness is on full display, notably having included his sizeable mistake during his 2014 Grace Hopper interview. Skipping that would have been a deal-breaker. He spoke candidly of different technology business segments and his perspective of inclusiveness in the organization. It’s his personal mission statement for the world to see. On the tech and business side, he is pushing the agenda he envisioned. On the organization side, the proof is still in the pudding. The best parts to read are his scribbles found only in the employee edition – more personal, more to the point of his expectations within the company.