SuccessFactors, Inc.

The protagonist is Lars Dalgaard, a young manager with solid experience but none in leading a technology company. Through a combination of circumstances, Dalgaard becomes the CEO of a drowning software company focused on the HR space at the peak of “Nuclear Winter” in Silicon Valley. The case explores how he and his small team attempt to restart SuccessFactors and transform it into something sustainable in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.