"I'm sorry that we have to have a Washington presence. We thrived during our first 16 years without any of this. I never made a political visit to Washington and we had no people here. It wasn't on our radar screen. We were just making great software"

This quote by Bill Gates speaks to the power of his company, Microsoft, and how it was able to grow with no existence in Washington. He expresses remorse that the business now requires to have a presence in Washington, as it was not something that was required for the first 16 years of the company's presence. He also points out that he never ever made a political visit to Washington and that the company had no individuals there, suggesting that it was not something that was necessary to the business's success. This quote speaks with the success of Microsoft and how it was able to accomplish fantastic success without any political involvement. It also speaks to the power of the business and how it had the ability to grow with no existence in Washington.