Re: They don't learn, do they?
Spot on!
Microsoft's problem is that they let too senior executives decide too much when it comes to selecting new trends and technologies for the company to go for.
They should let younger people within the company play a larger part in staking out the company's future, I think.
Your comparison is apt, because the senior executives, like dads, will try to be hip. And they may think that "they still got it", even when it's obvious that they don't.
There has been a few senior executives who still "had it", even at old age. I think Steve Jobs was one of them. But, generally, an executive's ability to "feel the pulse" of the technology world will sort of wane as he gets older. As a company, Microsoft should realize this, and be more wary of letting too senior board members be too key in deciding which new trends or technologies to go for. They should acknowledge that it's mostly a young persons game, even if it's not always the case.