Bill Gates is a firm believer in creative thinking. Many Microsoft innovations came out of his biannual ‘Think Week’ retreats. During these breaks from office life, Gates spent time alone thinking about his company and the future of the computer industry. Reading and strategizing were the two main activities that Gates engaged in during his solo retreats. In his quiet time alone, Gates read dozens of papers written by Microsoft employees, and took detailed notes about how to implement the best ideas. At the end of the week, Gates summarized his thoughts and sent out emails and reading lists to his executives. He then had follow-up meetings to put plans into action. Gates kept up this tradition for many years, and inspired other entrepreneurs to use a similar approach.