I know law and the legal establishment of Seattle much better than I know software and I would argue that the role of Bill Gates Sr. has not been sufficiently recognized. Senior is senior partner of one of Seattle's two premier corporate law firms which means he knows a great deal about, well, great deals. In other words, how companies can parlay a first mover advantage in one product market into market power elsewhere, or how cash up front can be eschewed for monopoly down the line. I don't know whether Senior gave active advice or Junior simply picked it up thru osmosis but MS's strategic sense seems light years ahead of everyone else's. I do know a few brilliant programmers and they all seem puzzled and resentful that Gates, who is not as snappy with code as they assume they are, seems to have "lucked out" as he had. I suspect luck had little or nothing to do with it. He understands how corporate America cuts deals and they don't.
Richard