Behind the Cloud: The Untold Story of How Salesforce.com Went from Idea to Billion-Dollar Company-and Revolutionized an Industry by Marc Benioff, Carlye Adler

Marc Benioff’s book, ‘Behind the Cloud: The Untold Story of How Salesforce.com Went from Idea to Billion-Dollar Company-and Revolutionized an Industry’, gives a fascinating insight into the creation of Salesforce – one of the world’s leading cloud-computing companies.

The book begins with Benioff’s childhood, growing up in California, and how his experiences and encounters shaped the entrepreneurial spirit that would eventually take him to the top. He tells how his parents instilled in him the philosophy of “treat others as you wish to be treated” which would drive his passion for customer service and success.

After college and stints as a sales representative in big business, Benioff made a decision that would shape his life forever. He chose to study computer science and work in the burgeoning software industry in the late nineties. His time working in the industry helped to cement his views on customer service, and saw him creating innovative tools to improve the user experience.

It was during this time that Benioff had his eureka moment – the development of Salesforce. Benioff was acutely aware that technology was increasingly being used in sales and marketing departments, however it was still rife with inefficiencies and lacking an element of collaboration. It was from this insight that Salesforce was developed.

The book then follows Benioff’s journey to develop Salesforce, from a pure idea to an operational business. He tells of how he initially funded the venture, facing a number of obstacles along the way. He talks of “The Rule of 40” that he kept in mind – having 40% of the product complete, 40% of the customer base achieved and 40% of the funding secured. It was from this model that enabled him to reach the tipping point and launch Salesforce to the world.

Benioff goes on to share the highs and lows of running a fast-growth company, and how he leveraged the resources at his disposal to expand Salesforce to the levels of success it has now achieved. He explains how he took the courage to implement bold strategies such as offering customers a free demonstration of the product and providing incentives for the adoption of cloud-based solutions.

Furthermore, Benioff talks of the challenges that came with the growth of Salesforce, along with the strategies employed to tackle them. He emphasises the importance of always learning and remaining agile, avoiding complacency and maintaining a customer-centred mindset.

Finally, he stresses the importance of developing strong teams and a supportive culture, which he believes is vital to continuing success in a business world increasingly dominated by technology.

In ‘Behind the Cloud: The Untold Story of How Salesforce.com Went from Idea to Billion-Dollar Company-and Revolutionized an Industry’, Marc Benioff shares his incredible journey from a bright-eyed software engineer to the CEO of a revolutionary company. He highlights the importance of customer service, strategic thinking and the crucial role of technology in the business world today. His book gives an inspiring insight into the workings and successes of one of the world’s leading tech companies.