Hit Refresh | Book Series

Overview:

Hit Refresh is about individual change, about the transformation happening inside of Microsoft and the technology that will soon impact all of our lives—the arrival of the most exciting and disruptive wave of technology humankind has experienced: artificial intelligence, mixed reality, and quantum computing. It’s about how people, organizations, and societies can and must transform and “hit refresh” in their persistent quest for new energy, new ideas, and continued relevance and renewal.

Microsoft’s CEO tells the inside story of the company’s continuing transformation, tracing his own personal journey from a childhood in India to leading some of the most significant technological changes in the digital era. Satya Nadella explores a fascinating childhood before immigrating to the U.S. and how he learned to lead along the way. He then shares his meditations as a sitting CEO—one who is mostly unknown following the brainy Bill Gates and energetic Steve Ballmer. He tells the inside story of how a company rediscovered its soul—transforming everything from culture to their fiercely competitive landscape and industry partnerships. As much a humanist as engineer and executive, Nadella concludes with his vision for the coming wave of technology and by exploring the potential impact to society and delivering call to action for world leaders.

“Ideas excite me,” Nadella explains. “Empathy grounds and centers me.” Hit Refresh is a set of reflections, meditations, and recommendations presented as algorithms from a principled, deliberative leader searching for improvement—for himself, for a storied company, and for society.

Author:  

Satya Nadella

Published In:

26 September 2017

Freedom to Fail | Book Series

Overview:

Shabnam Aggarwal always dreamt of success. Raised in an immigrant Indian family in the start-up hub of Silicon Valley, she believed that every entrepreneur could be successful. So she left her cushy job at Merrill Lynch to take a risk, find her passion, and make a change in the world. She moved to India to start a company. In Freedom to Fail, Shabnam tells the story of her brush with ‘success’: raising her first round of venture capital; hiring a hardworking team of millennials; growing her start-up to multiple cities…and then finding it all come to a bitter end. Shabnam gives us a peek into the world of start-ups in India. Her personal journey gives us an insight into dealing with failure, warning us of the challenges of starting a business, and helping us learn from her experience. Weaving each chapter into a powerful lesson in overcoming expectations, fear and self-doubt, she shows us why failure is important, even imperative, in order to ultimately succeed. And the best lesson she learnt: You haven’t failed until you stop trying.

Author:  

Shabnam Aggarwal

Published In:

05 December 2018