The night The Mirage opened, the energy on the Strip felt different — louder, brighter, almost vibrating. Crowds pressed in from every direction. Cameras flashed. The world was watching. And inside, we were running on adrenaline, pride, and the quiet hope that all our planning would hold.
For the most part, it did. But success has a way of hiding the things you don’t see coming.
The first sign came from something almost funny. Our brand‑new electronic room‑key system was designed to alert bellmen the moment a guest entered their room so bags could be delivered instantly. It was flawless in testing. But on opening night, guests were so mesmerized by the rooms — the décor, the views, the novelty — that they wandered around for minutes before crossing the sensor. The system thought no one had arrived. Technology perfect. Human behavior unpredictable.
Then things got less funny.
The casino was so packed that the slot team couldn’t empty machines fast enough. Coins piled up. Hoppers jammed. And then someone said the words no one expected to hear: “We’re out of coins.” An emergency run to the Denver Mint became the only solution.
And then came the gut punch. Our brand‑new HR/Payroll system — months in development — had a programming flaw. The first paychecks were wrong. We shut it down immediately and hired 65 accounting clerks to run payroll manually for a month. Humbling doesn’t begin to describe it.
Other issues surfaced too — like realizing our warehouse couldn’t hold the food and beverage volume needed for the crowds. Forty refrigerated trailers lined the property until we could expand it.
Success felt incredible. But it also revealed every blind spot we didn’t know we had.
That’s the part success never teaches: to step back, stay humble, over‑communicate, and always build backup plans. Success can make you feel invincible — right up until it reminds you you’re not.
Stay alert. Fall back when needed. And be ready to respond today.
Bill Gates (born 1955): American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the software company Microsoft in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen.
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