Neo's Ali Partovi says Microsoft pushed him out over search
In the debut of his new podcast, Partovi says this is the first time he has told the story publicly. He and then-manager Satya Nadella recall how Microsoft's banner-ad revenue plan blocked an early search-advertising effort.
By Ryan Merket · Published
Primary source: X
Why it matters
Neo is extending its founder-mentorship brand into media. The debut's strongest material comes from Partovi's own account of a missed search opportunity at Microsoft, tying the show's leadership theme to the firm's people-first pitch without evidence yet of audience or commercial traction.
Ali Partovi, Neo's founder and CEO, says Microsoft effectively pushed him out after he argued internally that search would become a major source of value on the web. He made the claim in the debut episode of Confession with Ali Partovi, released October 13th, with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who worked with him at the time. Partovi says he had never shared the story publicly.…