Microsoft CEO hunts anew for creator hub after TikTok bid fails

Microsoft Corp.’s latest takeover targets have baffled some analysts and investors who are well aware of the company’s spotty track record in consumer businesses and social media. What’s the appeal, they wonder, in digital properties such as TikTok, Pinterest Inc. or now Discord Inc., a chat app that’s popular with gamers?

The answer in Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella’s mind is clear. “Creation, creation, creation—the next 10 years is going to be as much about creation as it is about consumption and about the community around it, so it’s not creating alone,” Nadella said in an interview last month.