Mark Benioff, CEO of corporate customer relationship management business Salesforce, has recounted how he got his start as an intern at Apple and what he gained from that experience.
Tim Cook had previously attended a Salesforce conference, and Benioff is said to have handed Steve Jobs the rights to “App Store” for free.
He earlier said that the gesture was done as a sign of gratitude for the assistance Jobs had provided him over the years. In a recent interview, he claims that as an Apple intern, he had the opportunity to work with both Steve Jobs and Guy Kawasaki in close proximity.
As one of the earliest “software evangelists” at Apple, Kawasaki was the one who recruited Benioff for the internship role. Benioff has been interviewed for Kawasaki’s podcast, Remarkable People.
As Benioff recalls on the podcast, “I was a snotty-nosed 19-year-old kid with a little software firm made out of a handful of my high school classmates.” It was because to Guy that I was able to start my career as a Macintosh developer.
In the summer of 1984, after being approached several times by Benioff, Kawasaki finally agreed to let him intern at Apple for the summer.
For the benefit of Macintosh software developers all across the globe, he was tasked with writing assembly language applications.
In the summer, Benioff penned roughly 70 of these shows. Additionally, he said that he gained knowledge on running a successful technological firm in addition to programming.
“I learnt that a great technological business is packed with extraordinary energy, vibrancy, and a feeling of urgency,” says Benioff of his time at Apple. “In addition, there was a lot of culture in the area. Shiatsu masseurs and free Odwalla juice were provided by Steve Jobs to keep the programmers in shape.”
On the other hand, Benioff has said that Steve Jobs has continued to serve as a mentor to him and his young Salesforce firm over the years. In 2011, Benioff noted, “He has probably given me more support and guidance than just about anybody.”