I realize this’ll be a loaded question, but I’ll try it anyways: does anyone know how to get directly in touch with Bill Gates?
I’ve already dropped him an email, but I’m sure there are other more “official” ways to approach him.
The reason being is that my publisher and I have decided he is our #1 choice to write the foreword for my upcoming business blogging book. Steve Ballmer’s #2. Malcolm Gladwell is #3. If anyone knows any of these guys directly, or knows of a more promising way to get in touch than email, please let me know either here or via email.
April 26th, 2005 at 3:02 pm
LinkedIn can’t help you find Gates?
April 26th, 2005 at 7:37 pm
Sorry – can’t help there.
Interestingly your post a couple back on Microsoft – were you thinking that was going to help or hinder your approach to Bill?
April 27th, 2005 at 11:59 am
abuse@microsoft.com?
April 27th, 2005 at 2:28 pm
bill.gates@microsoft.com gets you 2870 hits on google. But I guess he has a lot of people reading his email for him, sorting out the spam, and the please send money and please write foreword in my book emails. If you don’t get through it does not mean it is not the real email.
April 27th, 2005 at 10:05 pm
Tip: don’t tell everyone who your first choice is for anything, because then whoever ends up being your final choice feels like a substitute, instead of the person you really wanted.
For example, assuming you tracked down Malcolm Gladwell and talked him into doing the foreword, it would be embarrassing to have him come across a posting listing him as your #3 choice.
April 28th, 2005 at 6:38 am
Eric, while your statement is true 99% of the time, I personally don’t think I’d be offended if I was second (or third) to Bill Gates. I think it would be an honour to be on the same list as Bill Gates, actually.
Anyway… I think you’ll have a hard time getting in touch with him, short of going to his house and trying to convince 500 security guards who you are and what you want.
April 28th, 2005 at 7:01 am
My point is that it’s usually considered a gesture of respect to ask someone to write the foreword, so don’t lessent the respect by having it be widely known that the person you eventually chose wasn’t on your original A-list.
But I’m sure Jeremy has the personality to get over any minor speedbumps like that, if he doesn’t get one of his top choices to do the foreword. That’s the nice thing about a blog, after you publicly do one thing, you can publicly admit it didn’t work out and do something else. People generally will accept that, provided you’re being either very straightforward or very witty.
April 28th, 2005 at 7:49 am
I’d rather be open and honest on the blog than hiding stuff. If he gets so far as to read my blog, I’ve probably either won or lost him already.
The thing about this list is that it’s full of incredibly cool people, and while I have to put them in an order of priority, any of them signing on would have me jumping around.
So may the #1-3 bit is more priority in terms of asking than how much I want people involved, y’know?