"Bill Gates has always been a mentor and inspiration for me even before I knew him. Just growing up, I admired how Microsoft was mission-focused"

Mark Zuckerberg is revealing appreciation for Bill Gates and Microsoft. He acknowledges that Gates has been a coach and inspiration to him, even before he knew him personally. This affection is most likely due to the fact that Microsoft was mission-focused, meaning that it had a clear function and objective. This is something that Zuckerberg likely discovered inspiring and encouraging. He likely saw Microsoft as a company that was driven by an objective and was successful because of it. This is something that he likely wanted to replicate in his own service undertakings. By admiring Gates and Microsoft, Zuckerberg had the ability to acquire insight into how to create an effective organization.