There’s yet another interesting piece on the death of the KIN phones by Mini-Microsoft today. He points to some interesting discussions during “Think Week”, where Microsoft staff take time out of the office to read papers submitted by employees for new products and technologies. One such paper is called “Lessons Learned from Microsoft KIN and How Microsoft Must Change Product Development” and comments quoted in the blog are scathing – mostly directed at management now in charge of the Windows Phone 7 project..
“Personally I quit because of the frustrating management and autocratic decision style of Terry Myerson and Andrew Lees. The only exec in the team myself and other folks respcted was Tom Gibbons who is now sidelined. Lees and Myerson don’t know consumer products or phones. Gibbons at least knows consumer product development.”
Now, I really want Microsoft to come back with a bang this year. I want Windows Phone 7 to be a brilliant success. I want lots of apps to choose from in the Marketplace and the phones to be sold out. What I’m also hoping is that these comments from Microsoft employees will just be a distant memory in a few months time..
“There is spin that Andy killed kin to put all the wood behind Windows Phone 7. Er, the guy was in charge for two years of Kin development. He could have made this decision far earlier. Similarly Windows Phone 7 has two years of development under his watch. Based on his past performance, 99% chance this is also going to be a total catastrophe. It further doesn’t help that much of the Windows Phone 7 leadership team was kicked out of Windows when they screwed up Vista.”
Link – Mini-Microsoft