Chapter 1: The Mystery of Salesforce

Most people are unaware of what Salesforce truly offers. You might be surprised to find out how many misconceptions exist around this company.

Me: "So, what’s your job?"

Salesforce Friend: "I work as an SFE, a Salesforce engineer."

Me: "Right! But what exactly does that mean? Is it just CRM software?"

Salesforce Friend: "Not exactly. It's far more comprehensive."

Another Friend Joins In

Other Friend: "What are you guys discussing?"

Me: "Oh, he works at Salesforce!"

Other Friend: "I always forget what they do. I saw Matthew McConaughey in their ad, but it still escapes me. Is it like a corporate version of Excel?"

Salesforce Friend: "Not really. It’s more like…"

Final Friend Joins the Conversation

Final Friend: "What’s up, imaginary folks from AL's article?!"

Other Friend: "AL? That's our god?"

Me: "Yeah, not the best name, I agree. Anyway, we’re diving into Salesforce."

Final Friend: "Oh, the space app?"

Salesforce Friend: "Yes! We're like the CRM-Excel-Space app."

Me: "This is so confusing. Maybe they should consider being acquired by a bigger company to simplify things. You know, find a billion-dollar company to buy you out."

Salesforce Friend: "Salesforce is worth $205 billion."

Me: "…"

Other Friend: "…"

Final Friend: "…"

I feel like I’m reaching my creative limits here. Perhaps this is what people refer to as burnout, though I feel quite relaxed sipping my iced coffee. Let’s return to Salesforce.

I’ve been reading a book by Marc Benioff that chronicles Salesforce’s beginnings and its ascent to billions in revenue. While I’m no expert, I’m intrigued by how they achieved such popularity.

Let’s establish some core facts about Salesforce. Recently, I chatted with a Salesforce engineer at the airport. I mentioned my reading about Marc Benioff and his advice for startups.

Understanding Salesforce is akin to explaining a text editor. Sure, you can call it CRM software, but it offers so much more. (And yes, I realize my metaphor might need clarification!)

From my readings and observations, here are my insights regarding Salesforce as a startup.

P.S. — I dedicate 96% of my time to my newsletter, which has garnered 750k views and 12k readers. Feel free to join my network!

Salesforce has a long history. Let me pose a question, and I hope you’ll answer honestly: When do you think Salesforce was founded? 2019, 2010, 2005, or 1999?

Think carefully. Have you made your choice? The answer is… 1999.

I initially added the fourth option to surprise you, but that seemed a bit silly. 1999 predates Skype and Facebook. The more I learn about their journey, the more I recognize a single word that encapsulates this startup and its founder — persistence.

They believed the future lay in cloud technology, much like Dropbox did with cloud storage while others were content with DVDs. The founder gained valuable insights during his tenure at Oracle before launching Salesforce, convinced that the industry was shifting toward the cloud. His gamble paid off.

Are you interested in trying Salesforce? Just a heads-up — it’s not cheap.

Person: "Alright, I’ll give it a go."

Salesforce Salesperson: "Fantastic! How many team members do you have?"

Person: "Everyone will use it. Our marketing and sales team has 30 people, and we're quite proud of our team."

Salesforce Salesperson: "Great! I’ll get you the top package because you’ll need it. Just crunching some numbers… Done! That’ll be $108,000 per year. Quite a deal!"

Person: "…"

Honestly, if a product boosts sales or efficiency, the price becomes secondary as long as you see a positive ROI.

But then I recalled something the SFE mentioned at the airport — his agency needed to develop a few Salesforce applications for invoicing. They hired a development agency and spent over… are you ready? More than $1 million.

Salesforce can be quite costly over time. He noted that many firms still use alternative software like Siebel (now owned by Oracle), which he views as outdated compared to Salesforce.

Wait a minute, are we discussing a company that’s leading the charge into the future while many customers cling to outdated options? It’s reminiscent of Tesla’s situation (I seem to be referencing Tesla a lot lately).

In the book, Benioff frequently discusses Salesforce’s competition with Siebel, a giant in the industry while Salesforce was relatively small—much smaller than an ant, actually.

They initiated marketing campaigns aimed at Siebel, and the turning point for Salesforce came when Siebel acknowledged them, albeit negatively. This recognition propelled Salesforce into the competitive landscape, allowing them to secure clients like Walmart, Amazon, and Starbucks.

Over the years, Salesforce focused on client acquisition and retention. Imagine doing that for 24 years! This commitment has led to a staggering market cap of $205 billion.

Salesforce’s evolution offers valuable lessons for startups, particularly those focused on B2B. But I’m curious about your perspective. I’ve mentioned Tesla and encountered mixed reviews; what about Salesforce? Do you use it? Love it or hate it? Let’s engage in the comments below.

I’m Al, a business consultant based in Zurich, Switzerland. I’m passionate about providing value to you, the reader. If you appreciate my content, feel free to follow me on social media.

Chapter 2: Insights from Marc Benioff

In this chapter, we’ll explore valuable lessons from Marc Benioff's strategies in building Salesforce.

The first video provides insights into the future of Salesforce and whether it’s losing its momentum.

The second video features Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff discussing the company’s AI strategy in an engaging interview.