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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

We're not adding any more software engineers next year because we've increased productivity with Agentforce and other AI technologies by more than 30%, resulting in incredible engineering velocity.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

We will have fewer support engineers next year due to the implementation of an agentic layer, which enhances our operational efficiency.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

Current large language models are rapidly becoming a commodity, and the focus at Salesforce is on Agentforce, which is crucial for our future.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

The concept of 'no mud, no lotus' emphasizes that you must go through difficulties and suffering to achieve beauty and success, a lesson I learned from my teacher Thich Nhat Hanh.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

Our recent financial transformation, which included addressing significant challenges, has resulted in our stock tripling in value over the past two years, demonstrating the importance of overcoming adversity.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

Salesforce is the number one enterprise AI supplier globally, processing over two trillion enterprise transactions weekly, and we are leading in delivering AI at scale.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

The upcoming version of Agentforce will be announced on December 17th, and it will automate every customer touchpoint, enhancing the customer experience significantly.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

Pricing for Agentforce is based on consumption, charging approximately two dollars per conversation, which is negotiated based on customer volumes.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

I believe we are nearing the upper limits of large language models, as the future will likely involve many smaller, specialized models rather than a few large ones. We're at the upper end of large language models, and they're rapidly becoming a commodity as they mature.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

Salesforce builds many models and has a phenomenal AI team, but we also leverage other models and regularly invest in various model companies.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

The future will consist of many smaller, specialized models for different use cases, rather than just one generic model.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

I focus on Agentforce to show customers the immense value it can provide, which is my top priority right now.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

Layoffs can be a crucial tool for CEOs to prepare their companies for the future, even though no one wants to make that decision.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

I learned from Steve Jobs that focusing on one thing at a time is essential for success, which is why I'm concentrating on Agentforce.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

The most important mindset for CEOs today is to cultivate a beginner's mind, being open to new possibilities as everything changes rapidly.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

I pivoted Salesforce's entire focus to Agentforce based on customer feedback, demonstrating its significance for the company. I constantly ask myself if I'm doing everything necessary to make Agentforce successful.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

After 25 years as CEO of Salesforce, I believe you have to leave it all on the field to achieve success.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

I didn't expect the breakthrough with Agentforce to happen as quickly as it did; the power of AI is now at our fingertips.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

AI has both positive and negative aspects, and we need to educate ourselves about both.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

I believe we will see the full maturation and commoditization of language model capabilities by 2025.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

Business can be a powerful platform for change, and Salesforce has given away about a billion dollars to nonprofits over the years.

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Marc Benioff

12/10/24

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

I wish more people would ask how they can use their businesses to improve the state of the world.

Marc Benioff, Salesforce Founder: Why Salesforce Isn't Hiring Software Engineers | E1236

Takeaways