[thedufer]

The problem with idolizing Bill Gates was stated most elegantly by PG: "no startup can be the next Microsoft unless some other company is prepared to bend over at just the right moment and be the next IBM[...]Microsoft is a bad data point." There is much to be admired in what Bill Gates has done with his wealth (and little to be admired in Steve Jobs by the same criteria). But if you're looking for an idol in the context if building a tech company, Steve Jobs seems like the way to go.

I guess the important thing, then, is to have different people guide different parts of your life. No one was good at everything; pick and choose their good sides.

[wanorris]

One of the most important steps in Google's growth was when they cut a deal to be the technology provider for Yahoo's search back when Yahoo dominated the web, so perhaps finding a big company that will bend over at just the right moment isn't as impossible as it seems?