Box CEO and co-founder Aaron Levie on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. That’s exactly how our fifth annual CODE Workshop took place from October 27–29 at Moscone West in San Francisco. What packed his session and had everyone buzzing was an entertaining, refreshing, candid conversation about the challenges to invention within public companies. He dove into the ways in which AI is changing the very nature of enterprise software.
During the session, Levie had plenty of helpful observations about what AI is disrupting—and what it isn’t—in the world of enterprise software. He underscored the critical importance of being willing to interrogate everything. That means scrapping even your most popular concepts to remain competitive in an industry that’s moving at lightning speed. This new approach is indicative of Levie’s understanding that innovation needs to be more of a constant state of being instead of a one-off success.
A Visionary Leader in Cloud Collaboration
Levie and Box have been at the forefront of crafting cloud collaboration long before it became an overnight sensation. His vision and leadership at Box set the benchmark for what a best-in-class cloud-based solution should be. These enhancements help businesses engage more effectively and collaboratively. As a longtime public company CEO, he helps steer Box on its mission. His big picture and boots on the ground perspective will provide the kind of insights that will be extremely beneficial to everyone in attendance.
Drawing from his own entrepreneurial experiences, Levie focused much of his conversation on the difficulties organizations encounter wading through that initial growth or scaling up. His firsthand experiences provide contenders with a one of a kind perspective. They do so while learning how to remain sufficiently agile and innovative as they expand operations. He called on leaders to cultivate a culture of perpetual piloting and testing so they could keep their strategies fresh and dynamic.
The Importance of Adaptability in Technology
During the session, Levie emphasized the importance of flexibility when it comes to technology, especially in the world of enterprise software. He articulated how AI is reshaping workflows and decision-making processes but pointed out areas where traditional methods still hold value. This level-headed perspective resonated with a lot of the people in attendance. It underscored the need for combining new technologies and approaches with a regard for traditional practices.
As organizations work to leverage the power of AI, Levie’s ideas can help light the way. His focus on constantly questioning assumptions and sharpening their saw serves as a valuable playbook for anyone trying to do more creative work within their institutions. Attendees came away with nuggets of wisdom that they can immediately churn into actionable items within their own enterprises.
