Phia-nomenal Support: When Gates Took the Help Desk Route to Innovation

In a gesture that combines humility with hands-on leadership, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates recently took a day working in customer support at Phia, a fashion-tech startup co-founded by his daughter Phoebe Gates and her Stanford roommate Sophia Kianni. Not having a net worth of over ₹1000000 crore, Gates decided to live the front lines of startup life.

Most significant lessons Gates learned

Gates answered genuine customers' queries in real time, stating that direct contact is the best guarantee of understanding how a product works—or where it breaks down

He described the experience as enlightening and praised Phia's vision to make fashion wiser, greener, and more accessible

Phia is a browser extension and mobile app that price compares more than 40,000+ webstores, including green and second-hand stores

Gates emphasized that he did not invest in the firm to direct it, but rather to mentor from the side

Leadership by example

Gates is one of an increasing number of high-level executives embracing "leadership by doing," including Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who worked as an Uber driver during the pandemic

CEOs, as per research by Harvard Business School, dedicate less than 10% of their time to direct contact with customers or front-line employees

Gates' brief is a reminder to stay down-to-earth, current, and in touch with real users-even in the midst of success

The gesture was more than fatherly support—it was a masterclass in modern leadership.

Sources: Hindustan Times, Economic Times, Navbharat Times, Times of India, WN.com