Another indicator of the beginning of the end of SalesForce.

Three-point executive summary:

1. The closure of The Future Forum by Slack is a short-sighted move that ignores the positive impact of remote work on productivity, trust, and employee turnover.
2. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's push for workers to return to the office is out of touch with the current trend towards remote work and flexible work arrangements.
3. The future of work is being shaped by Artificial Intelligence, and companies like Salesforce will need to adapt or risk becoming irrelevant.

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For about 4 months, I've been following and consuming content from The Future Forum.  The site was chock full of good data and reports around the 'work from anywhere' movement, something I've been a part of and an evangelist of, since 2009.

It WAS supported by Slack/SalesForce back when the thought of remote workers was temporary.

Marc Benioff recently inflicted large layoffs and brought down a back-to-the-office mandate to Salesforce and today is one of the few voices imploring anyone that work is best done in an office, under management's thumb, and in front of a computer screen illuminated by his software.

Benioff is closing Future Forum:

Salesforce-owned communication platform, Slack, is closing Future Forum, a consortium that conducted surveys of 10,000 office workers globally on flexible and remote work. The surveys found that flexible work has a positive impact on productivity, fosters trust between employees and employers and decreases employee turnover. The decision to close Future Forum comes amid Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's push for workers to return to the office. This move also follows reports that Salesforce is mandating a return to the office for some employees. Slack has not given a reason for the closure and is yet to outline details of its future research investments.

Another signal that Salesforce is on its way out; the person at the top, the one guiding the company, appears to lack real vision and is making a mistake.  The Forum was a good source and had the potential to help Salesforce navigate the turbulence of the new way of work. Too bad.

Artificial Intelligence is going to eat Salesforce, entirely, and he knows it.  All the power in the future will originate with the data, not the programming around the data.  

As companies develop their own, localized AI, and integrate it with their own, localized DATA, companies like Salesforce will no longer be required.  The AI will automatically perform analysis finding qualified prospects and guiding them through most of the purchasing journey.  Indeed, prospects purchasing AI may talk with the provider's AI and together determine the best components of a solution, pricing, and implementation project management without any human/sales interface.

As you can see, once this happens, users of CRMs, accounting systems, consulting, legal and creative departments find other things to do.

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ChatGPT, remastered version of the above passage:

For the past four months, I've been avidly consuming content from The Future Forum, a site that provides insightful data and reports on the "work from anywhere" movement. I've been a firm believer in this concept since 2009, and the Future Forum's comprehensive research only reinforced my conviction.

It's disappointing to learn that the Salesforce-owned communication platform, Slack, has decided to close down the Future Forum. The consortium conducted surveys with over 10,000 office workers worldwide on the benefits of flexible and remote work. The results showed that such arrangements lead to increased productivity, higher employee retention rates, and fostered greater trust between employees and employers.

Unfortunately, this closure coincides with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's insistence on a return to the office, despite the positive outcomes of remote work. It's perplexing that Benioff is ignoring the data, especially since the Future Forum could have helped Salesforce navigate the challenges of the new work paradigm.

This move is also concerning because it could be an indication that Salesforce is on a downward trajectory. Benioff appears to lack real vision, and his push for workers to return to the office may be a mistake that could cost Salesforce in the long run.

Furthermore, the rise of localized artificial intelligence (AI) will likely disrupt the CRM industry, including Salesforce. Companies are developing their own AI programs that can automatically analyze data, find qualified prospects, and guide them through most of the purchasing journey without the need for human intervention.

As a result, users of CRMs, accounting systems, consulting, legal, and creative departments may find themselves with less work. The future of business is going to be powered by data, and companies that can't keep up with the AI revolution may become irrelevant. It's imperative that organizations, including Salesforce, start embracing the power of AI to stay ahead of the curve.

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Tweet: "Sad to hear Salesforce-owned Slack is closing Future Forum, a valuable resource on flexible work. It's a short-sighted move by a CEO who lacks real vision and ignores the positive impact of remote work on productivity, trust, and employee turnover. #WorkFromAnywhere #FutureOfWork"

Introduction: For the past four months, I've been following and consuming content from The Future Forum, a consortium that conducted surveys on flexible and remote work. Unfortunately, Salesforce-owned communication platform Slack has announced the closure of the Forum, amid CEO Marc Benioff's push for workers to return to the office. This decision is short-sighted and ignores the positive impact of remote work on productivity, trust, and employee turnover.

Keyword list: Work From Anywhere, Future of Work, Remote Work, Salesforce, Slack, Marc Benioff, The Future Forum, Flexible Work, Productivity, Employee Turnover.

Image Prompt: An image of a laptop on a beach, with a person working from a remote location.

Three-point executive summary:

1. The closure of The Future Forum by Slack is a short-sighted move that ignores the positive impact of remote work on productivity, trust, and employee turnover.
2. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's push for workers to return to the office is out of touch with the current trend towards remote work and flexible work arrangements.
3. The future of work is being shaped by Artificial Intelligence, and companies like Salesforce will need to adapt or risk becoming irrelevant.