1999 founded Standing
crm · salesforce.com
Salesforce
the moat is real
27 years 165 days and counting
Marc Benioff, 8 Mar 1999. No software. Still a lot of software.
Why it lasted
- CRM is where the money numbers live. Replacing it is a two-year program, not a weekend.
- The AppExchange and the admin class are a labor moat.
- They bought enough of the surrounding map (Slack, Tableau, MuleSoft) to stay the default enterprise gravity.
Times it almost ended
- The 'software is dead' billboard was the origin story. On-prem vendors were the ones that had to explain themselves.
- HubSpot ate the mid-market. Salesforce kept the accounts where a VP of Sales already has a login.
What would finish it
- A CRM that is actually nice to use and already sitting in the warehouse (Microsoft, a vertical SaaS) plus a CEO who stops buying the map.
Questions
Is Salesforce still up?
Yes, with a Standing verdict: the moat is real. Founded 1999.
How long has Salesforce been around?
Salesforce has been up since 1999-03-08.
Why did Salesforce survive?
CRM is where the money numbers live. Replacing it is a two-year program, not a weekend.
Could Salesforce still die?
A CRM that is actually nice to use and already sitting in the warehouse (Microsoft, a vertical SaaS) plus a CEO who stops buying the map.