Microsoft needs a Music Czar

Thomas Hawk points to this “personal note to Microsoft” from analyst Michael Gartenberg:

There’s no doubt that you must be frustrated. Really frustrated. After all, you were in digital music long before Apple. There were WMA players on the market long before iPod. In fact, Microsoft might have been dominant in digital music if it weren’t for that pesky little iPod thing (along with iTunes). Worse, Apple introduces a flash player years after anyone else, actually removes features and then has customers waiting 2-4 weeks to get one. Gladly waiting I might add and ignoring all those other devices your partners have brought to market. Let’s face it, you have all the tools to respond but at the moment, you seem to lack the leadership to tie it all together. You need to find someone to do for digital music what Martin Taylor is doing for Linux. You needs a master strategist that can deliver what folks like Brad Silverberg and Brad Chase did for Windows and Yusuf Mehdi did for IE back in the last century. In short, you need a digital music czar.

I would apply for this job in a heartbeat!