Clue 1 · The Basics
U.S. technology company · mega-cap · listed on the NYSE · headquartered in San Francisco.
Clue 2 · The Numbers
Annual revenue around $35 billion and growing, with a famously subscription-based model that keeps customers paying every single year whether they love it or not.
Clue 3 · The History
Founded in 1999 in a San Francisco apartment, it pioneered the radical idea of selling business software over the internet instead of shipping it on a CD.
Clue 4 · The Secret
Its whole pitch was "no software" — a dig at traditional enterprise giants — and it famously staged fake protests outside a Siebel Systems conference to make that point.
Clue 5 · The Lore
It owns one of the tallest skyscrapers west of Chicago, plasters its name on the skyline, and its founder built an entire Hawaiian island wellness retreat between acquisitions.
Clue 6 · The Giveaway
The world's leading customer relationship management platform, its mascot is a friendly cloud named SaaSy, and its ticker is literally the three-letter word for what it helps you manage.