Rumor was Gates saw one and thought they were right so pivoted to destroy them.
Don’t poke the bear I guess?
I can’t remember where I read this or how true it’s likely to be, but it came to mind.
I thought I’d read that came after Netscape started it though? I could be wrong.
Some more info here: https://thehistoryoftheweb.com/browser-wars/
> “Then, Marc Andreessen began talking up Netscape not just as a browser, but as a new, cross-platform operating system. He went as far as saying that in the future, Netscape would reduce Microsoft to a set of “poorly debugged device drivers.”
> Gates did a quick about face in May of 1995. He sent out a memo to all Microsoft employees titled “The Internet Tidal Wave.” In it, Gates outlined a new future for his company, one connected extricably to the Internet. His paranoia for competition was also clear. Netscape, Gates demanded, was a company that Microsoft would need to “match and beat.””
All these comments are great, though.