Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says ‘Yes�?in 4 minutes to this YouTuber’s ‘cold email�?/span>

TOI Tech Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Feb 23, 2025, 14:30 IST

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Satya Nadella's appearance on Dwarkesh Patel's podcast was secured through a cold email, highlighting the power of direct outreach. Nadella discussed a key career lesson and reflected on Microsoft's missed opportunity in search business, acknowledging the importance of recognizing business model shifts. Nadella's rapid response to Patel's email underscores his enthusiasm for the podcast.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says ‘Yes�?in 4 minutes to this YouTuber’s ‘cold email�? decoding=

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently appeared on an Indian-origin YouTuber's podcast shortly after the company announced its new quantum computer chip. Dwarkesh Patel, the host of the YouTube podcast, generated buzz, particularly after sharing how he secured Nadella's participation in the podcast.
Patel revealed that he secured the interview with Nadella through a simple "cold email." In the podcast, the Microsoft CEO shared a key "lesson" he's learned throughout his career and offered advice to new employees joining the company.
“Kids, don't underestimate the power of a cold email,�?he said in the podcast.

Nadella says, “Your pod is super…�?/h2>

Nadella's recent appearance came about in an unexpected way. Patel, known for interviewing prominent figures like Mark Zuckerberg and Tony Blair, noticed that Nadella had subscribed to his newsletter. Seizing the opportunity, Patel sent a brief email with the subject line “Wanna come on my podcast?�?br/>In the email, Patel expressed his appreciation for Nadella subscribing to his newsletter and extended an invitation to appear on his podcast. He specifically mentioned his interest in discussing Nadella's views on AI and Microsoft's future.
“Hi Satya, saw your email on my newsletter subscriber list. Appreciate you tuning in! Would you be interested in coming on my podcast?... I'm keen to hear how you're thinking about AI (and Microsoft) over the next 3/10/25 years,�?Mr Patel wrote.
To Patel's surprise, Nadella apparently responded within just four minutes, expressing his enthusiasm for the opportunity.
“Your pod is super. I would love to,�?he said.
Patel later shared this story on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting the potential of a well-crafted cold email.

Missed opportunity

Nadella reflected on a significant oversight in the company's history -- the failure to anticipate the dominance of search as the internet's primary business model. Nadella acknowledged that Microsoft underestimated the potential of search to organize the web, allowing Google to capitalize on this opportunity and establish a highly profitable business.
“We missed what turned out to be the biggest business model on the web because we all assumed the web is all about being distributed. Who would have thought that search would be the biggest winner?" he asked.
Mr Nadella acknowledged that this oversight was a crucial lesson for him.
"These business model shifts are probably tougher than even the tech trend changes," he said.

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