As Box Scales Cloud Services, Its CEO Thinks Small
*By Carlo Versano*
When Box launched 13 years ago, the cloud was still a meteorological term.
The company, which provides cloud content management and file-sharing services for companies, was at the vanguard of the software-as-service model that has since upended office productivity across industries.
Aaron Levie, the co-founder and CEO of Box ($BOX), told Cheddar that the success the company has had can be traced to an early and prescient "pivot" that it made from focusing on individual customers to enterprise teams.
"We thought we could out-innovate the traditional incumbents in enterprise software and technology," Levie said.
Box's ability to play in the big leagues ー it now has 87,000 customers, including two-thirds of the Fortune 500 ー is because of its structure, Levie said. The company eschews a top-down hierarchical approach in favor of lots of small teams that are empowered to make quick decisions, and then own them. It allows for better accountability, agility, and employee happiness.
"That is the style of work we live by," he said.
Still, Box owns "maybe two percent" of what's believed to be a $30 to $50 billion enterprise software market, in Levie's estimation. As it scales, Levie said he's determined not to lose that nimble start-up mindset that has shaped Box's culture.
"All people want to come into work and have a significant amount of impact on the business," he said. "This is the modern way of working."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/box-ceo-aaron-levie-on-companys-position-in-the-market).
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
U.S. sports betting is booming as NFL and college football fuel massive activity. BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt breaks down trends, growth, and what’s next.
President Donald Trump says a deal struck by Netflix last week to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share. The Republican president says he will be involved in the decision about whether federal regulators should approve the deal. Trump commented Sunday when he was asked about the deal as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. The $72 billion deal would bring together two of the biggest players in television and film and potentially reshape the entertainment industry.
Disney's changes to a program for disabled visitors are facing challenges in federal court and through a shareholder proposal. The Disability Access Service program, which allows disabled visitors to skip long lines, was overhauled last year. Disney now mostly limits the program to those with developmental disabilities like autism who have difficulty waiting in lines. The changes have sparked criticism from some disability advocates. A shareholder proposal submitted by disability advocates calls for an independent review of Disney's disability policies. Disney plans to block this proposal, claiming it's misleading. It's the latest struggle by Disney to accommodate disabled visitors while stopping past abuses by some theme park guests.
With a merger this big, creators, studios, and theaters all face uncertain futures. Here’s what experts are worried about and what good could come from it.
With disengagement rising and hybrid work shifting, 'Everybody Matters' author Bob Chapman explains why treating people well could define the future of work.
We sat down with Ali Furman, U.S. Consumer Markets Industry Leader at consulting firm PwC to ask what trends she garnered from the initial data this year.
