"You have a meeting in Building 7 in 30 minutes"

I just celebrated my second year at Microsoft (see "Redmond Monsoon Season / Some New Directions").

That aside, no one ever tried this bit of hazing on me when I joined Microsoft. However, I heard about it from multiple sources: despite that, it could be a thing of Redmond legend.

As I heard the tale, you’ve just joined Microsoft, been through new employee orientation (NEO; your first week onsite is in this three-day meeting) and you’re settling in your office or cubby.  You’re setting up your shiny new PC with all the MSIT stuff on ProductsWeb and the phone rings:

"You have a meeting in Building 7 in 30 minutes!"

You grab the nearest map of campus (online or printed; it doesn’t matter) and note the group of ‘X" shaped buildings, 1-8 in the center.  You realize it’s walking distance, so you set out straight away.

Not that you would know this in your first week, but there is no building 7.

The thinking person would assume it’d be in the group of buildings 1-8, but it isn’t.

CIO says more in "The Mystery of Microsoft’s Building Seven Lives On".

About Michael Coates
I am a pragmatic evangelist. The products, services and solutions I write about fulfill real-world expectations and use cases. I stay up-to-date on real products I use and review, and share my thoughts here. I apply the same lens when designing an architecture, product or when writing papers. I am always looking for ways that technology can create or enhance a business opportunity .. not just technology for technology's sake. My CV says: Seasoned technology executive, leveraging years of experience with enterprise and integration architectural patterns, executed with healthy doses of business acumen and pragmatism. That's me. My web site says: Technology innovations provide a myriad of opportunities for businesses. That said, having the "latest and greatest" for its own sake isn't always a recipe for success. Business successes gained through exploiting innovation relies on analysis of how the new features will enhance your business followed by effective implementation. Goals vary far and wide: streamlining operations, improving customer experience, extending brand, and many more. In all cases, you must identify and collect the metrics you can apply to measure your success. Analysis must be holistic and balanced: business and operational needs must be considered when capitalizing on a new technology asset or opportunity.

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