The document discusses how Box started as a consumer file sharing service but realized it needed to also serve businesses to continue growing. It describes how the enterprise software market was previously seen as "unsexy" but how cloud computing and mobile devices have changed enterprise technology, making it more affordable, standardized, and user-focused. The document advocates starting small with disruptive ideas, listening to customers but focusing on their needs, and keeping products modular and user-focused to succeed in today's enterprise market.

1. Building for the Enterprise
(and why it’s not as bad as you think)

2. 27MM+
Users
240K+
Businesses
99%
Fortune 500

4. How did we get here?

5. THE INTERNET: 2004

6. THE INTERNET: 2004

7. In 2004 it was really hard to share files

8. We identified rapidly changing factors:
Cost of storage dropping dramatically
More powerful browsers and networks
More locations and people to share with

9. We put together a quick version of Box
and launched it!

14. Soon we were getting 100,000’s of
signups every month

15. But…

16. Over-serving consumers
and
Under-serving businesses

17. We had to make a choice

20. MOBILE APPS
$35 BILLION

21. DIGITAL ADVERTISING
$135 BILLION

22. GLOBAL IT
$3.7 TRILLION

23. The problem was, enterprise software
was really unsexy

24. Slow, Expensive, Complex, and… Sales

25. I’m Chuck!

26. “You’ll never make it in the enterprise”
- Every investor, ever (in 2007)

27. My co-founder

28. We would only do enterprise if it could
be done differently…

29. Everything has changed

30. CLOUD
CHEAP
STANDARDIZED
EVERY BUSINESS
GLOBAL
USER-LED
ON-PREMISE COMPUTING
EXPENSIVE COMPUTING
CUSTOMIZED SOFTWARE
LARGE ENTERPRISES
REGIONAL
IT-LED

31. 1.75 BILLION
SMART PHONES

32. 2.9 BILLION
PEOPLE ONLINE

33. EVERY INDUSTRY
IS CHANGING

34. Retail Healthcare M&E Education Advertising Hi-Tech
Construction Packaged
Goods
Energy Government Legal Manufacturing

35. Accelerate multi-platform commerce

36. Enable more personalized healthcare

37. Global media creation & distribution

38. Every company in the world needs
better technology to work smarter,
faster, more securely

39. How do you get started?

40. SPOT DISRUPTIONS
Look for new enabling technologies that create a
wide gap between how things have been done
and how they can be done.

41. SPOT DISRUPTIONS

42. INTENTIONALLY START SMALL
Start with something simple and small, then
expand over time. If people call it a “toy” you’re
definitely onto something.

43. INTENTIONALLY START SMALL

44. FIND ASYMMETRIES
Do things that incumbents can’t or won’t do
because it’s economically or technically infeasible.

45. FIND ASYMMETRIES

46. FIND THE ALMOST-CRAZY OUTLIERS
Go after the customers that are working in the
future, but that haven’t totally lost their minds.

47. FIND THE ALMOST-CRAZY OUTLIERS

48. LISTEN TO CUSTOMERS
But don’t always build exactly what they want.
Build what they need.

49. LISTEN TO CUSTOMERS

50. MODULARIZE, DON’T CUSTOMIZE
Every customer will want something a little bit
different. Don’t make the product suffer for this.

51. MODULARIZE, DON’T CUSTOMIZE

52. FOCUS ON THE USER
Keep “consumer” DNA at the core of your
enterprise product. This will always pay dividends.

53. FOCUS ON THE USER

54. YOUR PRODUCT SHOULD SELL ITSELF
Sales should be used to navigate customers and
close deals, not be a substitute for great product.

55. YOUR PRODUCT SHOULD SELL ITSELF

57. This is an amazing time to start an enterprise
software company

58. But if you don’t, we’re hiring.
jobs@box.com