Before Satya Nadella took over as CEO, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) had become a slowly dying relic trapped in the past.
The company was not in any danger of going out of business, but it was no longer an innovator. Windows still powered most computers, but rivals including Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) had taken over the tablet and smartphone spaces with iOS and Android respectively.