At school Bill quickly unlocked the secrets of programming computers and he used this skill to build Microsoft, the company is now the leading maker of software. I think the important factors building up this miracle in terms of technology innovations as follows:
External factors and internal factors
1. External factors
The times produce their heroes.
A wider demand for software
Faster chips induce a wider demand for software, but process innovation in software development has been chronically slow. In the early days of computers, the machines were very large and could take up whole rooms. Their uses were limited. Microsoft's vision is "A computer on every desk and Microsoft software on every computer".

2. Internal factors
1. Leader’s qualities
Bill is one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution. He is widely respected in business circles for his intelligence, foresight, and ambition.
Bill strongly believes in hard work. He believes that if you are intelligent and know how to apply your intelligence, you can achieve anything. From childhood Bill was ambitious, intelligent and competitive. These qualities helped him to attain top position in the profession he chose.
Within a year, Bill Gates dropped out from Harvard. Then he formed Microsoft. Bill is a visionary person and works very hard to achieve his vision. His belief in high intelligence and hard work has put him where he is today. He is thinking and does not believe in mere luck or God’s grace, but just hard work and competitiveness.

2. Good team work
Two heads are better than one.
The core partnership
Even though Microsoft was growing rapidly and taking on a wider rang of products, the core of the company remained the two partners who had founded it- Bill Gates and Paul Allen. People saw Allen as a creative ‘ideas man’, while logical Gates would take those ideas and turn then into top-selling products.
Attracting the best
As first assistant to the president，Steve Ballmer took on many of the administrative tasks that Gates had been trying to handle. Ballmer also hired some very good people for the company.
As Gates explained later,”I always knew I would have close business associates like Ballmer and several of the other top people at Microsoft, and that we would stick together no matter what happened.”
Devoted employees
Bill Gates has always expected hard work and commitment from Microsoft’s employees. Microsoft’s employees work long hours and their loyalty to Bill Gates drives their dedication. They are well rewarded for working so hard.
As a leader
Bill Gates is a serious leader, he pushes his employees. But his approach to business situations is unique. His meetings are really discussions, and he listens to the ideas of the people who work for him. Bill’ style is to keep in touch with the people who work for him.
Despite growing rapidly, the company tried to keep the sense of being a team.
3. Competition and collaboration
The products that Microsoft created were the results of competitive collaboration.
Good competition
Competition may stimulate innovation. If you do not keep up, you will fall behind.
The computer world was beginning to grow rapidly. Many other companies were trying to make progress in new computer industry, and Microsoft was busy trying to write software that would tie in with each new advance.
Newer is always better. The company introduced Microsoft Word, Windows and the mouse. New products have been introduced at a rapid pace. The next version will be better than the last. Gates has remained at the top of the market and ahead of everyone else.
A bite of the Apple
We grow through sharing ourselves.
Apple computer, the company run by Steve Jobs, was Microsoft’s main competitor. Gates and Jobs, along with some of their employees, met to share ideas. Gates learned much about Jobs’ ideas and offered to produce software for them to use.
Under Gates' leadership, Microsoft's mission has been to continually advance and improve software technology, and to make it easier, more cost-effective and more enjoyable for people to use computers.
In my opinion, competition and organized effort build up Microsoft.

At school Bill quickly unlocked the secrets of programming computers ,(with this skill,he founded a company called microsoft,which ranking at top in the software industry now). I think the important factors account to this miracle of technology innovations :
here they are:
External factors and internal factors
first:
1. External factors
The times produce their heroes.
A wider demand for software
Great progress has been made in chips manufacture,as a result, a wider demand is raised in software, but innovation in software just can't meet the needs. Not long before, computers were very large and could take up whole rooms. Their application were greated limited because of those inconveniences. Microsoft's vision is "A computer on every desk and Microsoft software on every computer".

2. Internal factors
1. Leader’s qualities
Bill play one of the most important roles in computer revolution. He is widely respected in business circles for his intelligence, foresight, and ambition.
Bill strongly believes in hard work. He believes that if you are intelligent and know how to use your intelligence, you can achieve beyond your own imagine. From childhood Bill was ambitious, intelligent and competitive. These qualities helped him to ranking first in the profession he chose.
Within a year, Bill Gates dropped out from Harvard. Then he launched Microsoft. Bill is a child of dreams,he has worked so hard to achieve his vision. His belief in high intelligence and hard work has put him where he is today. He is thinking and does not believe in mere luck or God’s mercy, but just hard work and competitiveness.
(actually ,i can't agree with you in the assertion that only hard work and ambitious helps him to achieve today's success)
2. Good team work
Two heads are better than one.
The core partnership
Though Microsoft was growing rapidly and taking on a wider range of products, the core of the company remained the two partners who had founded it- Bill Gates and Paul Allen. the latter,who was regarded as a creative ‘ideas man’, while logical Gates would take those ideas and turn then into top-selling products.
Attracting the best
As first assistant to the president，Steve Ballmer took on many of the administrative tasks that Gates had been trying to handle. Ballmer also hired some very good people for the company.
As Gates explained later,”I always knew I would have close business associates like Ballmer and several of the other top people at Microsoft, and that we would stick together no matter what happened.”
Devoted employees
Bill Gates has always been asking for hard work and commitment from Microsoft’s employees. Microsoft’s employees work long hours and their loyalty and dedication are indispensable to the soar of Microsoft,of course ,they are well rewarded for their contribution.
As a leader
Bill Gates is a serious leader, he pushes his employees. But his approach to business situations is unique. His meetings are really discussions, and he listens to the ideas of the people who work for him. Bill’ style is to keep in touch with the people who work for him.
Despite growing rapidly, the company tried to keep the sense of being a team.

3. Competition and collaboration
The products that Microsoft created were the results of competitive collaboration.
Good competition
Competition may stimulate innovation. If you do not keep up, you will fall behind.
The computer world was growing rapidly. Many other companies were trying to make progress ,as a leader,it is hard for Microsoft to keep and even promote its leading status,as we all konw,it is always busy writing new software tied in with each new technology of software.

Newer is always better. The company introduced Microsoft Word, Windows and the mouse. New products have been introduced at a rapid pace. The next version will be better than the last. Gates has remained at the top of the market and ahead of everyone else.

A bite of the Apple
We grow through sharing ourselves. ( what?)
Apple computer, the company run by Steve Jobs, was Microsoft’s main competitor. Gates and Jobs, along with some of their employees, met to share ideas. Gates learned much about Jobs’ ideas and offered to produce software for them to use.
Under Gates' leadership, Microsoft's mission has been to continually advance and improve software technology, and to make it easier, more cost-effective and more enjoyable for people to use computers.
In my opinion, competition and excellent administration build up Microsoft.
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