Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft

About the book

Paul Allen's memoir of co-founding Microsoft: spotting the Altair on a magazine cover, convincing Bill Gates to drop out of Harvard, and writing the software that started the PC era. Allen also gives an unvarnished account of his fraught partnership with Gates and his life after leaving the company.

Why read it

Best if you want the Founders-covered account of Microsoft's early story through Paul Allen's memoir, including the Altair spark, the Allen-Gates partnership, and Allen's life after leaving the company

Evidence and original sources

The entire episode is dedicated to Paul Allen's memoir Idea Man, named explicitly by the host at the outset.

• Bill Gates (the Making of the Microsoft Empire) — David recalls Paul Allen's biography and applies the edgewalker description of Bill Gates.
• J. Robert Oppenheimer and Leslie Groves (The General and the Genius) — David identifies Paul Allen's autobiography while returning to its edgewalker description of Bill Gates.
• Bill Gates — David identifies Paul Allen's autobiography and Founders 44, quotes its edgewalker passage, and applies it to Gates.
• A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft — The entire episode is dedicated to Paul Allen's memoir Idea Man, named explicitly by the host at the outset.
• I Love Capitalism: An American Story — David points back to the recent Paul Allen discussion while applying Allen's account of parental support.
• Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way — David points back to Paul Allen's account while comparing parental support in the next autobiography.