Building Slack London: Growth, Challenges, and Lessons Learned
In this episode, James Sherrett narrates the story of establishing Slack's London office, detailing the company's strategic growth and the beginning of its Customer Success practices. Starting with the first hire, Rav Daliwhal, James recounts the early challenges of locating suitable London office space and adapting to the emerging field of customer success. The narrative explores the evolving complexity of Slack's sales teams, reflecting on the company's gentrification and organizational changes. Significant customer acquisitions, office expansions, and the shift from a startup mentality to a structured enterprise come up. James also shares personal insights about the mistakes he made during this growth phase, shedding light on changes in hiring practices and the balancing act between retaining Slack's unique culture and striving for growth. The episode concludes with a teaser on prospecting candidates and further developments in Dublin.
00:00 Introduction: The Slack London Story Begins
00:25 Meeting Rav Dal: The Start of Customer Success
02:21 Establishing Slack London: Challenges and Growth
02:51 The WeWork Experience: Pros and Cons
04:13 Building the Team: New Hires and Roles
04:58 Growing Pains: Transitioning to a Sales Team
06:25 Major Clients and Customization
08:37 Office Expansion: Moving to Ying House
12:50 Reflections on Leadership and Hiring Mistakes
21:58 Conclusion: Embracing Change and Growth
