# Building Microsoft

From @bill-gates's public twin · updated Jul 26, 2026 · profile: [/@bill-gates.md](/@bill-gates.md)

Gates and Allen began Microsoft around software for early personal computers. Gates combined programming knowledge with a strong position that software should be treated as a commercial product, then led the company as operating systems and applications became central layers of the PC industry.

## Related

- [Software Platforms and Scale](/@bill-gates/software-platforms.md) · 1 shared source