Salesforce's Bret Taylor on How Curiosity Saves the C-Suite | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Salesforce CEO Brett Taylor discusses the importance of embracing digital transformation and flexible work in the post-pandemic world.

Key Insights

• 👨‍💼 Digital transformation has become a necessity for businesses in the post-pandemic world.
• 🤭 The concept of a "digital HQ" is crucial in enabling flexible work and collaboration.
• 🪛 Finding the right balance between being product-driven and sales-driven is key to business growth.
• 🪛 Acquisitions can be a strategic move for companies to expand their offerings and drive innovation.
• ❓ Salesforce prioritizes its values and focuses on being a trusted digital advisor to its customers.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: How did Brett Taylor transition from being a product leader to leading operations and go-to-market strategies?

Taylor explains that as he moved up in his career, he realized the importance of adapting to the needs of the job and focusing on the most important tasks. He highlights the significance of recognizing the different phases of company growth and adjusting one's approach accordingly.

Q: How does Salesforce identify and hire leadership talent that can scale down from larger companies?

Taylor advises looking for individuals who have demonstrated a willingness to go beyond their defined roles and take ownership of important tasks. He emphasizes the importance of finding candidates with a track record of success in different stages of company growth and with diverse networks.

Q: How does Salesforce balance being a product-driven company with having a strong go-to-market strategy?

Taylor believes that being both product-driven and sales-driven is essential for success. He highlights the importance of creating a strong product that can sell itself, while also recognizing the value of effective sales and marketing strategies in reaching new markets and scaling the business.

Summary

In this video, Sarah Guo, a General Partner at Greylock, interviews Brett Taylor, the President and CEO of Salesforce. Brett shares his journey from being a co-creator of Google Maps to becoming the CEO of Quip and eventually joining Salesforce. He discusses the importance of embracing different roles and adapting to the needs of each stage of a company's growth. Brett also emphasizes the significance of having a beginner's mind and remaining customer-centric in the rapidly changing tech industry.

Questions & Answers

Q: Can you share your early experiences leading up to joining Google?

Brett shares that during his college years at Stanford, he witnessed the dot-com bubble burst, leading to many tech companies going out of business. Through a stroke of luck, he landed a job at Google, thanks to Marissa Mayer, who he had worked with previously. Despite not fully understanding Google's business model or the role of product managers, Brett decided to join the company based on his trust in Marissa and his love for Google's product.

Q: How did your role at Google evolve over time, particularly with the development of Google Maps?

Brett explains that he joined Google when it had around 200-500 employees. He initially worked on various projects but eventually became the driving force behind Google Maps. He shares how he developed the Google Maps API, which proved instrumental for various businesses. Furthermore, Brett recounts his experience organizing Google's first developer conference before leaving the company to start FriendFeed.

Q: Why did you decide to start FriendFeed after leaving Google?

Brett was passionate about social software and wanted to explore the untapped potential of the web's read-write nature. Google, at the time, wasn't focused on creating social products, so Brett felt that he had to venture outside of the company to work on his ideas. Thus, he started FriendFeed, which ultimately faced tough competition from Twitter and was later acquired by Facebook.

Q: What led you to join Facebook and what was your experience like there?

Brett reveals that he chose to join Facebook mainly due to his personal connection with Mark Zuckerberg and his admiration for the company's potential. During his tenure at Facebook, he learned how to be a successful manager and scaled the organization significantly. However, he also faced challenges in adapting to the mobile revolution and navigating the transition from desktop-focused to mobile-focused platforms.

Q: How did your experience at Facebook influence the founding and growth of Quip?

Brett's experience at Facebook made him realize the profound impact of the mobile revolution on consumer behavior. He became obsessed with the idea of re-architecting the way people work around mobile technology, which led to the founding of Quip. Quip aimed to reimagine work processes by leveraging push notifications, smartphones, and tablets. Brett highlights how the enterprise software industry had yet to fully embrace mobile technologies, creating a significant opportunity for innovation.

Q: What factors should companies consider when evaluating leadership hires that can scale down from bigger companies?

Brett emphasizes the importance of looking for individuals with grit and a demonstrated ability to adapt in high-growth environments. He advises evaluating candidates based on their track record of moving beyond their job descriptions to make things happen. Additionally, bringing in leaders from bigger companies can provide valuable networks and expertise in areas where the company might have blind spots.

Q: How should entrepreneurs balance their product-driven mindset with the need for effective go-to-market strategies?

According to Brett, the perception that a company must choose between being product-driven or sales-driven is a myth. He believes that successful companies should embrace both aspects. Brett cites examples like Slack, which combined a great product experience with effective sales strategies. He urges entrepreneurs not to shy away from investing in sales capacity as it can significantly accelerate growth and help reach a broader market.

Q: With Salesforce's broad market coverage, what are the key focuses now for the company?

Salesforce's main focus is being a trusted digital advisor to its customers during their rapid digital transformations. The company provides platforms for digital sales, customer service, marketing, e-commerce, and more. Additionally, Salesforce has made strategic acquisitions, such as MuleSoft for integration, Tableau for analytics, and Slack for the future of flexible work. Brett specifically highlights the importance of Slack in embracing the concept of a digital HQ and helping companies navigate the transition to flexible and remote work environments.

Q: How does Salesforce ensure it remains user-centric in the consumer space?

Brett acknowledges that remaining user-centric in the consumer space is more of an art form. He advises companies to understand their growth stages and the different milestones they need to overcome. By recognizing the various jobs they are being hired for, companies can better tailor their products and experiences to meet user needs. Brett also suggests regularly engaging with customers and listening to their feedback to ensure that the company stays aligned with their expectations.

Q: How does Salesforce maintain a beginner's mind and prevent internal distortion fields?

Brett admits that preventing internal distortion fields can be challenging, especially in a large company. He shares that one effective way to counter this is by consistently spending time with customers. By actively listening to and observing customers, companies can gain invaluable insights about their products, competitors, and the overall market landscape. Brett emphasizes the need for companies to maintain a customer-centric mindset and regularly challenge their own internal narratives.

Q: What advice do you have for companies trying to scale while preserving their culture and values?

According to Brett, one common challenge when scaling is knowing when and how to delegate responsibilities. Founders and CEOs must strike a balance between micromanaging every decision and delegating too much without sufficient oversight. By developing strong hiring processes and ensuring that new hires align with the company's values, culture, and customer-centric focus, companies can maintain their core principles while scaling.

Takeaways

Brett Taylor's journey from his early days at Google to his current role as CEO of Salesforce provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by tech companies. His emphasis on adapting to different roles and growth stages, maintaining a beginner's mind, and staying customer-centric are essential principles for success. Additionally, Brett highlights the importance of embracing both product-driven and sales-driven strategies and seeking out talented individuals with diverse backgrounds. Finally, he emphasizes the significance of remaining connected with customers, challenging internal narratives, and being open to innovation from any source.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Brett Taylor shares his journey from being a co-creator of Google Maps to becoming the CEO of Salesforce, highlighting his passion for innovation and product leadership.

• He emphasizes the significance of digital transformation and how Salesforce is helping organizations navigate the all-digital work environment through its acquisitions of Slack, Tableau, and MuleSoft.

• Taylor talks about the concept of a "digital HQ" and the role of tools like Slack in enabling distributed work and collaboration.

• He also discusses the value of embracing both product-driven and sales-driven strategies for business success.