Competition is extremely important for a market and ecosystem, and competitors should find ways to help each other not destroy each other, especially in our small space. Hoping we can learn from lessons like the below.
(Stole from LinkedIn)
In 1997, Apple was losing $1 billion a year.
90 days from bankruptcy.
Then Bill Gates stepped in with a $150 million lifeline. Why?
Microsoft saved its biggest rival.
And it was not just about Apple.
Microsoft was under antitrust scrutiny and needed competition to prove it was not a monopoly. Keeping Apple alive protected Microsoft’s ecosystem from regulatory threats. A weak rival was better than no rival at all.
The reaction was intense.
Apple employees were furious.
The media called it a desperate move.
Fans booed Gates when the deal was announced.
But Steve Jobs saw it differently:
"For Apple to win, Microsoft does not have to lose."
The impact was historic.
Apple survived and eventually thrived.
Microsoft avoided regulatory disaster.
Both companies went on to become tech giants worth a combined ~$6.6 trillion today.
