Recode Decode: Marc Benioff
You need to think about what is it that you want your company to be for: What are you doing with your business? At Salesforce we realize that the business of business is improving the state of the world. Business is the greatest platform for change.
Do you ever worry about coming across as a blow hard? No. I only worry about doing what is right.
Today technology is in a crisis of trust: Companies need to decide what is their highest value? What is the most important thing to them? Many companies don’t know that. Companies might have been started on a product vision - they have to switch and focus on their highest value.
There are companies in Silicon Valley that are challenged with their values:They can’t say we are going to do the right thing. Instead, they say we are going to build the best product we can. Those are two different things. They are 100% responsible for the disasters they are creating. Not just for their brand but in society itself. They won’t say trust is our highest value. You can tell by their executives and employees walking out. It will continue until they change their values.
We are moving into the 4th industrial revolution: This is the biggest most exciting change to society ever. We better go into the 4th industrial revolution with the right values or we are going to end up with a society we won’t be happy with. Every company in our industry will now have to look at the ethical and humane use of the technology they are building.
Why won’t you run for office? Because I believe business is the greatest platform for change. That is my core belief.
Facebook is the new cigarettes: It’s addictive. It’s not good for you. Facebook has ambitions on your children. They have Facebook for kids. They are using all the techniques that they used to attract you to attract your children. The government needs to come in and regulate.