Leaving Microsoft to Change the World audiobook cover - An Entrepreneur's Odyssey to Educate the World's Children

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World

An Entrepreneur's Odyssey to Educate the World's Children

John Wood

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Management & LeadershipBiography & Memoir

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Leaving Microsoft to Change the World
The Catalyst+
Fundraising Strategy+
Applying Corporate Lessons+
Sustainable Expansion+
Empowering Women+
Thinking Big in Crises+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7
What shocked John Wood during his tour of a local school in Nepal that ultimately inspired him to start his nonprofit?
  • A. The school library was completely empty because the few books they had were locked in a cabinet to protect them.
  • B. Teachers were striking due to unpaid wages and a complete lack of government support.
  • C. The students were forced to work in agricultural fields instead of attending their classes.
  • D. The school buildings had been completely destroyed by a recent earthquake and left in ruins.
Question 2 of 7
When pitching to potential investors, John Wood emphasized Room to Read's low overhead. What was the organization's overhead percentage, and why was it important?
  • A. 25 percent, ensuring that employees were paid competitive corporate salaries to prevent turnover.
  • B. 10 percent, meaning 90 cents of every dollar donated went directly to the schools.
  • C. 0 percent, because the entire organization was run exclusively by unpaid volunteers.
  • D. 50 percent, which allowed for aggressive international expansion and massive marketing campaigns.
Question 3 of 7
Which of the following is one of the key lessons John Wood brought from Microsoft to his nonprofit work?
  • A. Prioritizing aggressive marketing campaigns over local community building.
  • B. Being highly data-driven and carefully tracking metrics like student enrollment and book donations.
  • C. Outsourcing administrative tasks to cut costs and focus entirely on core operations.
  • D. Maintaining a strict corporate hierarchy to ensure quick decision-making in crisis situations.
Question 4 of 7
How did a woman named Erin help Room to Read successfully expand its operations into Vietnam?
  • A. She secured a massive corporate grant from a leading Vietnamese technology company.
  • B. She convinced John Wood to personally relocate to Hanoi for a year to oversee operations.
  • C. She volunteered to work for free, traveled to Vietnam, and established crucial contacts with the Ministry of Education.
  • D. She organized a global televised fundraiser that focused exclusively on rebuilding Vietnamese schools.
Question 5 of 7
Why did John Wood create the 'Room to Grow' scholarship program specifically for girls?
  • A. Because international charity laws required nonprofits to have gender-specific initiatives to receive funding.
  • B. Because he realized that two-thirds of the world's illiterate population are women, and educating them benefits the entire community.
  • C. Because the 2005 tsunami predominantly affected schools for girls in rural Asian areas.
  • D. Because local governments in Nepal and Vietnam refused to provide funding for co-educational facilities.
Question 6 of 7
What strategy did Wood use to ensure Room to Read didn't lose sight of its original purpose as it expanded globally?
  • A. He handed over complete operational control of the original branches to local government entities.
  • B. He paused all international expansion for five years to focus entirely on the first few schools built.
  • C. He carefully monitored the original Nepalese schools to ensure they continued receiving a steady stream of resources.
  • D. He required all new international branches to send 10 percent of their donations back to the headquarters in Nepal.
Question 7 of 7
What important lesson about entrepreneurship did Wood learn following the 2005 tsunami in Asia?
  • A. Entrepreneurs should think big and announce ambitious goals even before securing the necessary funding.
  • B. Nonprofits should always keep an emergency reserve fund equal to 50 percent of their annual operating budget.
  • C. Media appearances during a crisis often do more harm than good by overwhelming the organization's infrastructure.
  • D. It is better for educational nonprofits to focus exclusively on long-term goals rather than immediate disaster relief.

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World — Full Chapter Overview

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World Summary & Overview

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World (2006) is the story of John Wood, a former top-level Microsoft employee who left his career to found Room to Read, a non-profit charity organization. Room to Read aims to help stamp out global illiteracy by focusing on children's education and gender-equality.

Who Should Listen to Leaving Microsoft to Change the World?

  • People interested in global education
  • Those who want to learn about nonprofit organizations
  • Philanthropists and charity workers

About the Author: John Wood

John Wood is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, best-selling author and the founder of Room to Read and Room to Grow, nonprofits devoted to ending childhood illiteracy.

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