WCNC Sand Hill Road Series Presents: Entrepreneurship Pure - Tien Tzuo & Zuora: The Best Companies Are Built in a Downturn
April 1, 2009
On behalf of the Wharton Club of Northern California, Carr & Ferrell hosted a discussion led by Tien Tzuo, founder and CEO of Zuora Inc., on building a business during an economic downturn.
Tien Tzuo, founder and CEO of Zuora Inc. (former SVP of Strategy at Salesforce.com) had a very unique combination of experiences to share. Through his personal experience from being one of the first employees of Salesforce.com in 1999 and helping to build the frontier player of OnDemand computing, to scaling a company of Salesforce.com’s currently $1B revenue line during the dot.com bust, Tien's experiences echo important lessons for us in this economy.
Currently, Tien is building his own technology company, Zuora Inc., leveraging the fast expanding ‘Cloud” eco-system. Tien’s new company is growing rapidly and the team just closed significant funding rounds, all in the current very challenging environment. Tien shared his insights on his entrepreneurship experience that helped participants understand how to think about new opportunities in the current market.
Tien talked about:
• Lessons learned from Salesforce.com
• Current ideas and experiences building a successful subscription business
• Why Zuora’s Model thrives in an economic downturn
• Tips on looking for the right investors
