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Driveway Encounter With Microsoft's President Led To $25 Million For Code.org

Posted by msmash on from the strange-beginnings dept.

Long time reader theodp writes: At Monday's kickoff event with Melinda Gates for Computer Science Education Week 2018, Microsoft President Brad Smith revealed how a 2013 driveway encounter led to Microsoft's decision to commit $25 million to Code.org, whose CEO Hadi Partovi happens to live next door to Smith. "At the top of the hill, we share a common driveway," Smith said. "I can't even drive into the garage at night if he is standing in the way. Well, actually I can, but running him over is not the right path." Five years ago, Smith recalled, Partovi was in his driveway (King of the Hill-inspired artist's impression), "and he said, 'I have an idea [for then-nascent Code.org]. There is an important problem that we can help solve, because for too many people they look at these opportunities in computer science, and they don't appreciate that in truth anybody can aspire to be the next Melinda Gates or the next Bill Gates or the next Jeff Bezos or the next Sheryl Sandberg or Mark Zuckerberg. What they need, what they deserve, is the opportunity to learn this fundamental field.'"

Earlier this year, Code.org celebrated its 5th anniversary and thanked Microsoft and other tech donors for making it possible for the nonprofit to change U.S. K-12 public education. Smith also announced Monday that Microsoft would invest an additional $10 million in Code.org to help expand the tech-bankrolled nonprofit's work. "The renewed partnership," Microsoft explained, "will focus on ensuring that by 2020 every state will have passed policies to expand access to computer science and every school in the U.S. will have access to Code.org professional development."

22 of 55 comments (clear)

  1. Melinda and Sheryl? by Jahoda · · Score: 3, Insightful

    here is an important problem that we can help solve, because for too many people they look at these opportunities in computer science, and they don't appreciate that in truth anybody can aspire to be the next Melinda Gates ... or the next Sheryl Sandberg

    I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with Melinda or Sheryl's contributions to computer science, or their qualifications as software engineers? Can someone please explain those to me, before I continue reading this puff piece about two multi-millionaires and their happy little top-of-the-driveway accidental run in.

    1. Re:Melinda and Sheryl? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I believe Melinda Gates' major contribution to the field was leading the Microsoft Bob product team. Way to go, Melinda!

      Sheryl's contribution was writing an annoying book that led to millions of techies having to hear people use the phrase "lean in" in meetings across the industry for years to come. God help us.

    2. Re:Melinda and Sheryl? by DaMattster · · Score: 1

      But wouldn't it be cool if a 'driveway encounter' with TRUMP would end up w/ something productive & better for humanity?

      It really would and I would be further curious to see if it would even be possible. I don't know if Trump is truly sociopathic or if he's just simply a dullard.

    3. Re:Melinda and Sheryl? by David_Hart · · Score: 1

      But wouldn't it be cool if a 'driveway encounter' with TRUMP would end up w/ something productive & better for humanity?

      It really would and I would be further curious to see if it would even be possible. I don't know if Trump is truly sociopathic or if he's just simply a dullard.

      Maybe it would if he had money....

    4. Re:Melinda and Sheryl? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Came for this. Glad to see it is first post. What kind of SJW equality garbage are these people coming up with when you need to mention a wife of a billion tech giant and a CEO who's job is to make money for an advertising company. Can someone point me to 1 software package or application either of these people have developed that has contributed to their massive wealth. I am can't we honestly just give credit where credit is due and not look to make something so gender balanced that it is meaningless. There have been lots of women that have don't great work in computer science but it isn't because they are women it is because they took the time to figure something out.

      Also all this EVERYONE should code crap needs please stop. It is just going to be the next giant bubble also you don't need a million code monkeys you need people with good ideas and the ability to implement them writing another copy of snapchat or instragram or whatever other garbage these children come up with isn't contributing much.

    5. Re: Melinda and Sheryl? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Melinda's contribution was being a nobody 6/10 project manager at MS who Bill fancied and awkwardly approached in the parking lot. She resisted at first but eventually agreed to go out with him and the rest is history.

    6. Re:Melinda and Sheryl? by sgt_doom · · Score: 2

      Melinda was well known to write even worse code than BillG, her almost-never used (actually three people did end up purchasing and using it for awhile) user interface was the major joke at Micro$oft.

  2. Anyone can aspire to work in computer science. by ITRambo · · Score: 1

    Aspiring to work in a field doesn't mean that anyone can be the next Bill Gates. it takes a special kind of personality and intellect to be able to make it to the top. Implying that anyone can do so, is disingenuous and misleading. The best will do well. Many won't make the cut. Others will work on a help desk. We're not all the same and never will be. A high IQ level is a fair indicator of one's ability to work in computer science.

    1. Re:Anyone can aspire to work in computer science. by RobinH · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Not only that, but Bill Gates came from a wealthy family, had a lot of connections, and was going to a prestigious school (where he also met some other well-connected individuals). So Bill Gates is a bad example.

      --
      "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." - Mark Twain
    2. Re:Anyone can aspire to work in computer science. by alvinrod · · Score: 2

      They're kids, that's what they do. I told everyone I was going to be an astronaut when I was a kid. I even had an uncle who said he believed me because he said I was good at taking up space.

    3. Re:Anyone can aspire to work in computer science. by Comrade+Ogilvy · · Score: 1

      Indeed. If young children did not possess the audacious courage to believe they can do things untethered to any rational analysis, they would never learn to walk or talk without the support of professional physical therapists and professional speech therapists.

      I am 99.9% certain that the first time a baby tries to walk they will fail. But they have more important things to care about than the likelihood of failure staring them in the face.

    4. Re:Anyone can aspire to work in computer science. by Shotgun · · Score: 1

      "it takes a special kind of personality and family connections and seed capital "

      And not just any family connections, but a father who was a lawyer that was able to train you to think like one.

      Bill Gates did not get where he was by technical prowess. M$ products, to this day, are the definition of technical mediocrity.

      Bill Gates got to where he is by legal manipulation of a nascent industry. Due to his upbringing, he had weapons at his disposal that his competitors did not even know existed. Due to his upbringing, he had a set of morals that allowed him to use those weapons with an unrivaled ruthlessness.

      --
      Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
      Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
  3. And by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 1

    What they need, what they deserve, is the opportunity to learn this fundamental field.

    And ... some aptitude for it.

  4. The extremely wealthy person... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    living next to the other extremely wealthy person talked to each other. this resulted in one of them donating a pittance, as a gesture, to the other extremely wealthy persons endeavour.

    TLDR; for anyone too lazy to read the story.

  5. code.org is great for JS by DarkRookie2 · · Score: 1

    And that is just about it.

    --
    http://progressquest.com/spoltog.php?name=Son+Of+Son+Of+DarkRookie
  6. More evidence that it really is who you know by ErichTheRed · · Score: 1

    It's depressing, but the reality is that successful people generally come from successful families with enough connections to get them what they need. It is still possible (but highly improbable) to make it into top positions based solely on skill, but the path is well worn for those lucky enough to have connections.

    This is why people of normal means who want a good future for their kids push them so hard to get into the Ivy League or similar private schools. The price of the degree buys them access to the wealthy and well-connected. If they can somehow blend in with this crowd, the return on investment is incredible. There is no such thing as an unemployed Ivy League graduate at the low end of the ROI scale. And at the top, investment banking and management consulting are guaranteed paths to riches, as well as getting into top professional (law, medical, business) schools giving you access to the best jobs in those fields.

    As far as code.org goes, I'm not sure why people are so concerned about exposing kids to this field. Offshore outsourcing and visa programs are the main drivers of salary depression...working on those should be the primary concern of developers because then compensation might have a chance of increasing for everyone.

  7. Yeah, I always negotiate multi-million $$$ ... by QuietLagoon · · Score: 2

    ... deals with the person I share my driveway with, while standing in the driveway. I mean, we're neighbors, it's not that we don't see each other....

  8. Ironic by Njovich · · Score: 1

    and they don't appreciate that in truth anybody can aspire to be the next Melinda Gates or the next Bill Gates or the next Jeff Bezos or the next Sheryl Sandberg or Mark Zuckerberg. What they need, what they deserve, is the opportunity to learn this fundamental field.

    How can you say that without any trace of irony when they just got their mediocre idea funded just by living along the rich. A chance some kid in a mid or low income area will never have.

  9. Not training business leaders by nw_rad · · Score: 2

    Code.org trains peons to work in the sweatshop, not business leaders who exploit peons.

  10. Huh? by sgt_doom · · Score: 2

    Was this the female who has never coded before in her life????? Most peculiar . . .

  11. Free, preloaded programming environment by Doctor-R · · Score: 1

    In the good old days, a new DOS or Windows computer came with BASIC pre-installed. There were a bunch of books available on programming in BASIC. Many people started programming this way.
    In the good old days, all Apple Macintosh computers came with HyperCard pre-installed. There were a bunch of books availaable on programming in HyperCard. Many people started programming this way.
    If you buy a new tablet/ laptop/ desktop with Microsoft software, there is no learning to program software.
    If you buy a new phone/ tablet/ laptop/ desktop with Apple software, there is no learning to program software.
    If you buy a new tablet with Amazon software, there is no learning to program software.
    If you buy a new phone/ tablet/ laptop with Google software, there is no learning to program software.
    The confusion over which of the many choices for learning to program environments is a show stopper for most people.

    1. Re:Free, preloaded programming environment by tepples · · Score: 1

      The confusion over which of the many choices for learning to program environments is a show stopper for most people.

      And I'd bet that operating system publishers don't bundle one for fear of having to pay the sort of legal bills that Microsoft incurred when US and EU competition regulators investigated Microsoft for bundling Internet Explorer with Windows. But speaking of that, doesn't every new PC come with a JavaScript interpreter as part of the web browser?