Shashir Mehrotra

The ability to build

the ability to build software is definitely getting much, much easier.

I think the reasons why people choose to use software is often because it does a job particularly well and that there's often a network effect associated with it.

I'll give you an example.

I'll just focus on CRM.

People look at the SaaSpocalypse, they go and try to judge Salesforce and say, why would anybody pay for Salesforce?

I could just five code my own version of it.

Well, first they say, why would anybody have a CRM?

And then if they do need a CRM, why would they pay for Salesforce?

So maybe I'll answer both questions.

So why pay for a CRM?

And my view of it is that when you have groups of humans working together, you need software for them to work together.

So if I have one salesperson

I can keep all my sales in my head.

If I have 10 salespeople, maybe I can do it with a spreadsheet.

When I have 100, I need software to keep them together.

That software today is called CRM software.

When I have 1,000 agents selling on my behalf, I'm going to need a way for them to coordinate with each other.

It might be different, but I do think it's going to be important.

Why is it going to be products like Salesforce?