One of more interesting experiences from early 2000s in Microsoft was when Microsoft Russia finally crossed 1B in revenue by finally having Gazprom/Sberbank buy all the sh*t that they were pirating before. By doing so, the country was eligible to do the yearly business review in person, instead of over whatever passed for Zoom back then, I don't remember anymore. Olga D...can't remember her last name was the country manager, one of the few women in such position at the time. She invited everyone in russian community (hello rodina email list) to come to the Microsoft conference center in building 34 to listen to repeat of what she did earlier that week to Ballmer. This was the only microsoft event with catered vodka and caviar I've been to, but anyhow, after presentation of the financial stuff it turned a bit into a recruiting event - hey, come back to the motherland, the water is nice, look they are buying software licenses like civilized people, here is the pay scale from levels 61 and up, etc etc. There were ~400 people in the room, and the uptake was 0 (zero). All of us who were there in the room were not there in motherland for a reason.