March 28, 2008 8:33 AM PDT

Marc Benioff: From assembly programmer to software magnate

In this Super Techies interview, I talk with Marc Benioff about his career in the software industry. Benioff is the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Salesforce.com, which has led the business software-as-a-service revolution with its CRM-based platform. Salesforce.com is expecting to reach the $1 billion revenue threshold in its 2009 fiscal year, ending January 31, 2009.

In the interview, Benioff discusses his early work developing games for the TRS 80, Apple II, and Commodore 64, and his turn as a summer intern at Apple in 1984, coding in assembly language for the Macintosh.

Benioff also shares what he learned working alongside Oracle founder Larry Ellison during his 13 years at the company. In addition, he outlines the origins of Salesforce.com, which he started in 1999, and offers some insight into his aggressive marketing strategies and recipe for business success.

See also:

More Super Techies interviews
Marc Benioff taunts the awakened dinosaurs
Benioff takes stock of software shifts

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About Outside the Lines

Dan Farber is the editor in chief of CNET News. He has covered technology for more than two decades, and he previously served as editor in chief of ZDNet, PC Week and MacWeek. Outside the Lines explores the intersection of business and technology.

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