Shows
A Slack Story PodcastWORK on NYSEGoing Public from Yellowstone: Slack’s NYSE Debut and the Reality of ChangeJames Sherrett recounts Slack’s direct public offering (DPO) on June 20, 2019, when shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker WORK, roughly five years after Slack’s first revenue and at a valuation north of $20 billion. Instead of being in New York, he was on a family trip in West Yellowstone with spotty internet, balancing work with family. He describes placing insider sell orders the night before, the DPO mechanics versus an IPO (including immediate insider trading flexibility but greater pricin...
2026-02-1816 min
A Slack Story PodcastNew Swag: Pocket Squares / Handkerchief / Head Scarf / Hair Tie / Cravat / Dog ScarfThe Pocket Square Project: Swag off in all directionsIn this episode, James Sherrett shares how he created unconventional company swag for Slack. From initial inspiration at Heathrow Airport to collaborating with suppliers and distributing pocket squares as multi-purpose swag, he explores the impact and reception of these stylish silk squares. This off-the-books project showcases the playfulness and high standards Slack aspired to in its executive programs. Sherrett reflects on the innovative culture at Slack, the sense of autonomy, and the joy of injecting a sense of play into his work, all while hinting at future episodes...
2026-02-1109 min
A Slack Story PodcastInnovation ToursHarnessing Innovation: Slack's Journey to Innovation ToursJames Sherrett narrates the journey of how Slack capitalized on the rising demand for Innovation Tours, turning it into a valuable business opportunity. Initially uncertain about the concept, Slack learned that Innovation Tours vary greatly, with companies, government agencies, consulting firms, and specialized tour companies organizing them. By assessing the benefits of these tours through a decision matrix, Slack hosted tailored visits, sharing their company culture and innovative practices. These tours increased visibility and led to significant business deals. Ultimately, the Innovation Tours fostered collaboration and showcased Slack as a...
2026-02-0421 min
A Slack Story PodcastBriefing the ExecutivesReinventing Meetings: The Power of Effective Executive BriefingsJames Sherrett discusses some common frustrations with meetings and argues for their potential efficiency when conducted properly. By exploring Slack's approach to transforming meetings into executive briefings, he demonstrates how thoughtful execution can drive business success. He highlights the collaboration between Slack's sales teams, Slack executives, and Slack customers to create effective briefings that help close deals. Key results of Slack's briefing process include a higher win rate for deals and significant contributions to annual contract value.00:00 Introduction: the dreaded meeting00:57 The case for effective...
2026-01-2816 min
A Slack Story PodcastBecoming a Senior Technology StrategistFumbling Towards Legitimacy: A Senior Technology Strategist at SlackJames Sherrett shares his journey of becoming a Senior Technology Strategist at Slack, a role he describes as initially undefined and nebulous. He recounts how he took on the challenge of defining his new role, like with his previous positions at the company. Sherrett outlines the three primary responsibilities he eventually took on: executive briefing center engagements, investor and partner engagements, and innovation tours. Were there personal and professional hurdles? Some. Frequent travel and the need for self-sufficiency on the road. Sherrett's tries to capture the nuance of...
2026-01-2114 min
A Slack Story PodcastBack in the Slack YVRReturning to Slack YVR: A Journey HomeJames Sherrett recounts his return to Vancouver and Slack YVR on Canada Day, 2017. Slack YVR is familiar yet changed, with growth from 1 to 3 floors. We spend some time on the exceptional team that made Slack special, the culture, shared mission, and collaboration that fostered excellence within Slack. Key employees advanced within the company. How Slack YVR uniquely provided perspective and a focus on deeper work.00:00 Returning to Vancouver: a new beginning02:40 Settling back into Slack YVR04:25 The people of Slack: at the heart of...
2026-01-1412 min
A Slack Story PodcastMeet the New, New, New, New BossDiscovering Executive Programs by Doing Executive ProgramsAfter years of team management, James Sherrett finds himself reporting directly to a new, new, new, new boss, Marnie, while no longer managing a team. This transition leads James to explore the world of Executive Programs and Executive Briefing Centres (EBCs), specialized facilities for hosting executives. James learns to adapt to his new role, focusing on building relationships within sales teams, speaking at various industry conferences, and running executive briefing sessions to advance Slack's business goals. Throughout the script, James highlights key strategies, such as thorough preparation for meetings and...
2026-01-0718 min
A Slack Story PodcastAn Irish GoodbyeReflections on an Irish Adventure: Transitions and Changes at SlackJames Sherrett shares his experience working at Slack and living in Ireland from 2015 to 2017, highlighting both personal and societal changes. He observes Ireland's transformation with the legalization of same-sex marriage and a movement to repeal the abortion ban. He shares his family's daily life while he worked at Slack Dublin, noting the company's growth and shift to a sales-focused culture. James reflects on his own career challenges, including hiring a career coach. He emphasizes the importance of people in both his professional and personal life, cherishing the...
2025-12-3111 min
A Slack Story PodcastValues of the Slack Product: Part 2Values of the Slack Product: Part 2In this episode, James Sherrett tells the story of Slack's journey in launching the Enterprise Grid product. Through a metaphor inspired by Lego platform sheets, Stewart Butterfield, Slack's co-founder, envisioned connecting multiple Slack workspaces to form an interlinked network. The episode explores the motivations behind this new product, including demands from existing and prospective large customers as well as Slack's own growth needs. Sherrett highlights the challenges and changes faced by Slack in appealing to 'BigCos,' such as increased security features and compliance requirements. This shift involved balancing Slack’s or...
2025-12-2419 min
A Slack Story PodcastValues of the Slack Product: Part 1Exploring the Values of the Slack Product: Part OneIn this episode, James Sherrett delves into the starting values of the Slack product and how those values evolved over time. With personal anecdotes and a model of technology from Ursula Franklin's The real World of Technology, James focuses on 3 values of "the system of Slack": default to trust and openness, a shared reality and compassion through service. How were each of these connected to Slack's design and reflecting the original team’s work philosophy? Then, how did they change over time?00:00 Introduction: The Values of Sl...
2025-12-1721 min
A Slack Story PodcastIrish Irish Coffee (with recipe)A True Irish Coffee Experience — Reviving an Authentic TraditionIn this episode, James Sherrett recounts his first Christmas in Ireland, some family traditions and a memorable encounter with Irish neighbors. After being invited for a holiday drink, we discovered the true essence of Irish coffee, a far cry from the mediocre versions previously known. We leave with a deliciously rich and savory homemade Irish coffee recipe. We repatriate the recipe to Canada and it becomes a tradition for family and friends. The episode concludes with the Irish coffee recipe and a cautionary note on moderation.00:00 In...
2025-12-1007 min
A Slack Story PodcastHow I Got Replaced in EuropeBuilding Slack's Success in Europe: Leadership Transition & ExpansionJames Sherrett recounts his experience establishing Slack's EMEA offices in Dublin and London. He reflects on his journey, which included recruiting and training his team, finding new office spaces, and scaling the business from 30 to 120 employees. Sherrett focuses on the leadership transition, detailing his meetings with prospective candidates, especially Johan Butting, who eventually succeeded him. And then what?00:13 Opening Slack's EMEA offices01:28 Meeting potential new leaders03:24 Always building, building, building the team04:07 Rooftop restaurants08:12 New Dublin office acreage
2025-12-0313 min
A Slack Story PodcastGentrifying Slack With Radio LondonBuilding Slack London: Growth, Challenges, and Lessons LearnedIn 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...
2025-11-2623 min
A Slack Story PodcastI See London, I See FranceSlack's European Expansion MissionJames Sherrett narrates the journey to various European cities, from Dublin to London, Paris, and beyond, to promote and expand Slack. He details the challenges and successes of targeting tech-forward organizations, adapting to the unique nuances of over 20 smaller markets, and overcoming skepticism towards new, US technology. Sherrett emphasizes the importance of talking with customers, shares anecdotes from his travels, highlights internal challenges with hiring, and discusses balancing work with family life. This episode captures some key moments of the mission to introduce Slack to Europe.00:23 Taking on the Mission: Spreading...
2025-11-1916 min
A Slack Story PodcastMeet the New, New, New Boss: BobTeenage Years of Slack and Finding a Sales LeaderIn this episode, James Sherrett narrates the journey of Slack in its formative years, focusing on the challenge of hiring a VP of Sales. As the company moved beyond its development-driven roots, it realized the need for an experienced leader who could steer the Sales strategy. Despite internal skepticism about Sales, the team embarked on a rigorous interview process, eventually landing on a top 1 candidate, Bob Frati. Bob's readiness to learn and adapt made him a strong fit, and marked a key turning point in Slack's strategy to...
2025-11-1216 min
A Slack Story PodcastLeaving Never NeverlandGrowing Pains at Slack: Embracing Sales and Scaling UpJames Sherrett narrates Slack's realization we needed to grow up. But what did that mean? And how did we scale up our sales organization to match the increasingly complex demands of larger customers without losing what made the experience excellent for customers. Sherrett recalls some of challenges faced, solutions implemented, and pivotal decisions made. Key moments include adding specialized roles like solution engineers and customer success managers, then evolving our internal identity during an offsite meeting.00:17 Facing the need to grow up03:22 Preparing for...
2025-11-0515 min
A Slack Story PodcastA Very Stewart Visit to DublinA Dublin Office Halloween: Slack's Journey with Stewart ButterfieldSlack's had its Dublin office, the first outside the Pacific Time zone. Now Slack CEO, Stewart Butterfield, came calling. Also: Hallowe'en. Also: Callowe'en. We reflect on Stewart's growing role and influence both within and outside Slack, including the 'cult of personality' surrounding him. The story finishes by contrasting Slack's values with those of Salesforce after the acquisition.00:00 Introduction: A Slack Story by James Sherrett00:48 Halloween in Dublin: riding the leprechaun01:25 Preparing for Stewart's visit03:04 All Hands meeting from Dublin
2025-10-2915 min
A Slack Story PodcastHiring Good Irish HybridsBuilding Slack Dublin from PeopleJames Sherrett recounts his experience of building Slack's team in Dublin from three to 62 employees over 27 months. The journey involved adapting recruitment strategies, localizing the hiring process, and selling Slack to prospective employees alongside customers.Sherrett highlights the initial successes and subsequent challenges in hiring the right talent, including notable hires like Alia Lamadaar, Paul Murray, and others. He reflects on some of the lessons learned and the unique qualities that made Slack's Dublin team successful. He touches on local recruitment methods, including challengine recruiters and seeking employee referrals, that...
2025-10-2215 min
A Slack Story PodcastJust Like Starting Over0:38 — The Official Photo and Slack launch event at Trinity College Dublin1:22 — Meeting the Irish Prime Minister, cultural observations2:32 — Media questions: jobs, hiring, and Ireland’s expectations3:01 — The importance of PR and community in Slack’s early success3:30 — Expanding the story for a broader audience, tech status in Europe4:52 — Slack’s recognition in different cities and challenges in Europe5:24 — What is Slack? Shifting the story to employment and growth6:02 — Tech industry size in Dublin, yet battling local skepticism6:49 — Outline of Slack’s European expansion strategy7:16 — Buil...
2025-10-1521 min
A Slack Story PodcastCulture Carriers in DublinIntroduction: Moving to Dublin, settling in, and the challenge of starting over.00:30 — Adjusting to a new city: Finding housing, coffee shops, and routines.00:54 — Working from the Guinness Storehouse, feeling like a traveler.01:21 — Balancing old and new: Letting go of Vancouver responsibilities, focusing on Dublin.01:41 — "Culture Carrier" role: What it means and why it matters to a new office.02:51 — The many hats of Culture Carriers.03:16 — Translating company culture: Connecting Slack’s values to Dublin’s context.03:44 — Introducing Hanni: Her energy, background, and partnership.04:33 — The Fridge Incident: The...
2025-10-0813 min
A Slack Story PodcastBoom Times, Not Boom TimesBoom Times, Not Boom TimesArriving in Ireland, first impressions, and the legacy of the Celtic Tiger.0:31 — The Celtic Tiger era: Irish attitudes toward the boom years and the real estate bust.0:59 — The aftermath: Bank bailouts, national debt, and the business context we found as we moved to Ireland to open Slack’s AMEA HQ.1:22 — Learning Irish business culture: Distrust of wealth and the influence of Catholic history.1:55 — Money and Irish identity: Tension between enthusiasm for success and fear of collapse.2:18 — Reading up: Michael Lewis on the Celtic Tiger...
2025-10-0113 min
A Slack Story PodcastStone Upon StoneStone Upon Stone[0:00] Opening Slack's Dublin offices at the Guinness Storehouse.[0:21] Reflections on the unique character of The Liberties neighborhood, its working-class history, and vibrant street life.[0:59] Descriptions of the old Guinness warehouses, cobbled streets, and its transformation into a startup hub.[1:45] Stories about local shops, markets, and the quirky details of daily life in Dublin.[3:28] Discovery of a poem, "Stone upon stone upon fallen stone," stenciled on a high wall, and its connection to the area's history.[5:23] Personal experiences navigating Dublin's winding streets, learning the city...
2025-09-2408 min
A Slack Story PodcastLeaving for DublinLeaving for Dublin00:00 — Introduction: The Big Move, a new position in Dublin, the decision to move, and the challenges ahead.00:36 — Becoming the First and facing the unknownThe family prepares to be the first to make this kind of move at Slack, with new responsibilities and uncertainties.01:03 — Family sacrificesSaying yes to big changes, including my wife leaving her job and our son leaving his routine.01:29 — Packing up and letting goLeaving our long-time home, selling possessions, and preparing for a new life.01:56 — Logistics...
2025-09-1709 min
A Slack Story PodcastEee Mee Yah and Slack's International HQEee Mee Yah and Slack's International HQEarly mornings in Vancouver: Preparing for European calls and the excitement of working with international teams. (0:00)The value of research: Personalizing client interactions and surprising customers with tailored insights. (0:37)Slack’s global ambitions: The growing demand from Europe and the decision to expand internationally. (2:43)The Dublin scouting trip: First impressions of the city, meetings with IDA Ireland, local agencies, and exploring potential office locations. (3:32)Learning the language of international business: Acronyms, market structures, and the unique culture of Dublin’s tech scene. (6:50)
2025-09-1016 min
A Slack Story PodcastHow Slack Built its Culture: Part 3How Slack Built its Culture: Part 3In this episode, James Sherrett shares the inside story of how Slack’s culture was built and lived, focusing on the daily practices, values, and rituals that shaped the company.Timestamps & Topics:[0:00] IntroductionOverview of Slack’s culture journey, the four attributes, and six core values.[1:37] What is Culture, Really?Exploring the meaning of culture, referencing The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle.[3:16] Slack’s Mission: SPPThe origin and impact of “Simpler, more Pleasant, and more Productive” on Slack’s...
2025-09-0315 min
A Slack Story PodcastHow Slack Built its Culture: Part 2How Slack Built Its Culture: Part Two - Eating the GoatThis episode, 'Eating the Goat,' explores how Slack recognized and addressed rapid hiring issues and built a strong organizational culture. Slack's CEO Stewart Butterfield used the analogy of a snake eating a goat to describe the current state Slack found itself in. To solve it's problem, Slack developed its Six Slack Values — craftsmanship, empathy, thriving, courtesy, playfulness, solidarity — and created stories and onboarding processes to embed these values in daily work. Then Slack made onboarding into a force multiplier for everyone who joined in Slack's grow...
2025-08-2719 min
A Slack Story PodcastHow Slack Built its Culture: Part 1Inside Slack: Defining Culture with Four AttributesIn this episode, James Sherrett shares how Slack began to define its company culture by establishing Four Slack Attributes. Learn about the challenges faced due to rapid growth and how founding personalities like Stewart Butterfield impacted the evolving culture. Sherrett recounts the creation of the four Slack attributes — smart, humble, hardworking, and collaborative — and reflects on their role in guiding (or not guiding) team behaviour. Despite being a solid step ahead, the Four Slack Attributes faced limitations and required interpretation for new members.00:00 Introduction: The Slack Story Begins
2025-08-2009 min
A Slack Story PodcastDo the Best Work of Your LifeBuilding a High-Performance Culture at SlackHow did we start to establish a high-performance work culture at Slack? It starts by examining the company's hiring philosophy, rooted in the high expectation of doing the best work of one's life. This expectation acted as a filtering mechanism to identify optimistic and proactive candidates who embraced challenges. Dig into the internal processes and principles of the accounts team, such as decision-making using a 'trinity' of questions and the 'search first' mentality, to maintain efficiency and autonomous problem-solving. These cultural norms fostered trust, transparency, and a commitment to excellence within...
2025-08-1312 min
A Slack Story PodcastSlack Gets Kinda FamousSlack's Rise: From Coffee Shops to Celebrity EndorsementsJames Sherrett recounts the thrilling journey of Slack's growth and wider adoption, from everyday encounters at coffee shops to attracting celebrity investors like Jared Leto and Snoop Dogg. He discusses the company's transition into larger office spaces in San Francisco and Vancouver and touches on the cultural evolution within Slack. The episode provides a glimpse into the remarkable milestones and the increasing recognition that marked Slack's journey to becoming a billion-dollar unicorn.00:00 Introduction: Slack's Rise to Fame00:32 Slack in the Wild: Real-World Encounters01:43...
2025-08-0604 min
A Slack Story PodcastBillion with a BSlack's Billion Dollar Journey: Inside the Fundraising MilestoneIn this narrative by James Sherrett, the story unfolds about Slack achieving a billion-dollar valuation. It covers the inner workings of living through a significant fundraising announcement and the emotions and routines within the Slack team during this period.Sherrett reflects on the sudden shift in their valuation and what it represented, accompanied by media coverage and internal reactions. The script delves into the dynamics of Slack’s growth, highlighting the importance of their PR strategy, their compelling story, and the contributions of their leadership and teams. Ho...
2025-07-3012 min
A Slack Story PodcastMeet the New New Boss: A.J.Meet the New New Boss: A.J.This episode, narrated by James Sherrett, focuses on the challenges of adapting to new leadership. James recounts receiving an unexpected call from his boss, Allen Shim, Slack's CFO, informing him of his new boss, AJ. He shares his initial apprehensions, the strategic decision-making process, and the dynamics of working closely with AJ. Through detailed notes and reflections, James highlights the complexities of balancing immediate tasks with future planning in a rapidly growing startup. The narrative underscores the importance of adaptability, trust, and forward-thinking in thriving within a transformative company environment...
2025-07-2316 min
A Slack Story PodcastHow Slack Hired its First 5 Sales PeopleThe First Five: How Slack Hired Its Initial Sales TeamIn this episode, James Sherrett narrates the story of how Slack hired its first five salespeople. He outlines the challenges of hiring salespeople without prior experience, the development of a candidate evaluation process inspired by Daniel Kahneman's work, and the creation of effective job descriptions. He also details a 5-step hiring process including writing assignments, presentations, interviews, and reference checks. Sherrett shares insights into the traits they looked for in candidates and the success of the hires, emphasizing their impact on Slack's growth. Finally, he reflects on...
2025-07-1627 min
A Slack Story PodcastFinding the Bigs and SmallsNavigating Rapid Growth at Slack: Customer Segmentation and the Path to Scaling upIn this episode, James Sherrett covers the whirlwind journey of Slack's growth from its inception to hitting $10-million in annual recurring revenue in 8 months. He highlights the overwhelming yet exhilarating experience of managing the rapidly increasing customer base. Then how Slack identified three key customer segments—self-service users, small and medium-sized businesses, and enterprise. James previews his third role as Slack’s first Sales Manager and the key question he faced: who to hire to drive the company's explosive growth from $10-million to $100-million?
2025-07-0910 min
A Slack Story PodcastEaster Eggs in SlackUnveiling Easter Eggs in Slack: A Journey of Playfulness and ProductivityIn this episode, James Sherrett shares the playful and intricate details behind the design of Slack, highlighting how the software incorporates game-like features known as Easter eggs. The narrative explores various hidden gems like custom loading messages, the self-loathing web socket error message, the story behind the introduction of the Shruggy emoticon, and the inventive use of slash commands.Additional touches include the reordering of emojis for a positive user experience, the surprise animations hidden in the preferences section, and the user-friendly Slack bot...
2025-06-2511 min
A Slack Story PodcastSo Yeah, We Tried SlackCreating Slack's Launch Video: Behind the ScenesJames Sherrett narrates the story of Slack's launch video, produced by Sandwich Video in 2014. He explains the significance of having a Sandwich video for a tech startup, detailing the video's production, the script collaboration between Slack's team and Sandwich, and the quest for a fitting title. The final title, 'So Yeah, We Tried Slack,' emerged from a key line in the video. Sherrett also mentions a sequel video created during the COVID-19 pandemic and teases future content on Slack's Easter eggs and unique features.00:00 Introduction: The Quest...
2025-06-1805 min
A Slack Story PodcastPricing and “Fair Billing Policy”Slack's Journey to Fair Billing and Effective Pricing StrategiesBy 2014, Slack saw consistent weekly growth and recognized that once teams started using the platform, they rarely stopped. There were two main growth drivers – acquiring new customers and expanding in existing customers – and two main tensions Slack faced, particularly the hybrid use of multiple communication tools.To address these tensions, Slack adopted three key pricing principles: simplicity for new customers, fairness for existing ones, and speed for deployment. Specific tactics like starting with a high pricing point, avoiding unlimited user deals, and offering credits instead of disc...
2025-06-1123 min
A Slack Story PodcastOffsite in SonomaSlack's Early Days: Sonoma Offsite ReflectionsIn this episode, James Sherrett recounts his first offsite experience with Slack in Sonoma on May 15th, 2014. The narrative captures the early, intimate scale of Slack's global workforce of around 30 employees, the significance of in-person interactions in a remote-first company, and the excitement surrounding their burgeoning product success. Sherrett shares his initial thoughts and questions about offsites, his reflections on meeting his new boss Allen Shim, and the profound realizations about Slack's potential and future. Highlights include candid moments with colleagues and pioneering discussions on product and customer interaction, illustrating the...
2025-06-0413 min
A Slack Story Podcast#accountsNavigating Sales in Slack: Early Deals and Hard-Learned LessonsJames Sherrett recounts his experiences of closing early sales deals at Slack without a traditional sales team. He describes the significance of celebrating wins through dedicated Slack channels and shares a memorable story about negotiating with Sauce Labs, a customer demanding a discount. The narrative highlights the importance of understanding customer needs and being prepared for tough negotiations. Sherrett explains how these early experiences and the detailed pricing proposals were pivotal in refining Slack's approach to sales and customer success.00:00 Introduction: A Slack Story by James...
2025-05-2819 min
A Slack Story PodcastSlack's Wall of LoveThe Twitter Game: Building Slack's Wall of LoveThis episode explores how Slack effectively used Twitter to connect with its tech-savvy audience and amplify customer feedback. It details the creation and evolution of Slack's 'Wall of Love,' a curated collection of positive tweets that addressed customer objections and showcased unsolicited endorsements. The narration emphasizes the significance of customer engagement on Twitter and describes internal processes designed to maximize the surface area of the company to customer feedback.00:00 Introduction: A Slack Story by James Sherrett00:22 The Early Days: Twitter as a Key Platform
2025-05-2115 min
A Slack Story PodcastLaunching Paid SlackLaunching Paid Slack: The Journey from Free to PaidIn this episode, James Sherrett shares the story of how Slack transitioned from a free to a paid product. From the early planning stages, the company knew its business model would be a B2B SaaS offering. The script details the use of credits to ease the transition for customers, and the data-driven approach that helped identify key patterns in user growth and retention. As Slack prepared for its February 12, 2014 launch, the team used customer feedback, analytics, and strategic PR to ensure a successful rollout. The episode also...
2025-05-1419 min
A Slack Story PodcastSocks, Slack SocksThe Slack Socks Saga: A Quirky Marketing SuccessIn this episode, James Sherrett narrates the fascinating journey of how Slack created custom socks as a unique marketing tool. Starting with a small budget, the team decided to use socks featuring their tartan design as company swag. The process wasn't easy and included a 99-email thread just to finalize designs.Despite initial challenges, the socks became immensely popular, eventually leading to orders of up to 500,000 pairs. The socks not only contributed to brand identity but also symbolized the quirky originality and growing pains of Slack as...
2025-05-0713 min
A Slack Story PodcastSaying No NicelySaying No Nicely: A Slack Story by James SherrettIn this episode, James Sherrett starts at Slack in 2014 as full-time Director, Accounts. He discusses the evolving roles and responsibilities in a small startup environment, focusing on customer interactions, providing demos, and collecting feedback.A key theme is the philosophy of 'saying no nicely,' both to customers and in shaping product strategies. James explores different ways to decline requests respectfully and strategically, the impact of this approach on customer satisfaction, and the overall business operations. Additionally, he touches upon the growth of Slack, its core...
2025-04-3018 min
A Slack Story PodcastEnding Marketing, starting AccountsTransition from Marketing to Accounts at SlackA quick episode to mark the transition of the story from Part 1 to Part 2. A thank you for the audience's support and feedback. A recap of the topics covered so far. A sneak peek into what's coming next, including launching Slack's paid product and creating the Slack Wall of Love. If you're reading this you likely already know about the accompanying podcast.00:00 Introduction to the Slack Story00:23 Transition to Part Two00:40 Preview of Part Two01:05 Three Things01:36 Recap of Part...
2025-04-2503 min
A Slack Story PodcastPlease sit next to the moneyPlease sit next to the moneyIn this episode, James Sherrett narrates his tumultuous journey at Slack, starting as a consultant in June 2013, navigating through periods of high demand, strategic pivots, and personal struggles. Despite initial setbacks, including a retracted job offer, James continued to show up for work. His persistence and growing alignment with the team ultimately led to his official hiring as the Director, Accounts at the end of 2013. James shares insightful anecdotes about customer engagement, internal teamwork, and the evolving dynamics of startup culture, providing a behind-the-scenes look at Slack's early days. James' wife...
2025-04-2326 min
A Slack Story PodcastLearning from the first 1,000 Slack invitesThe First 1000 Slack Invites: Insights and ObservationsIn this episode, James Sherrett shares the insights drawn from the first 1,000 Slack invites, from September, 2013. He shares 16 key observations about user behaviour and feedback that contributed to Slack's development and positioning. Despite early challenges, these initial signals of success helped shape Slack's journey to becoming a billion-dollar company. Toward the end, we cover hindsight bias and retaining the context of those formative days. The episode provides a unique glimpse into the embryonic stages of Slack's growth.00:00 Introduction: A Slack Story by James Sherrett00:28 The First 1000...
2025-04-1613 min
A Slack Story PodcastYou put your name on every job you doA Foundational Slack Story: Craftsmanship and CultureIn this episode, James Sherrett recounts a defining story shared by Stewart Butterfield, co-founder of Slack, about learning the importance of reputation and pride in good work at an early age. The narrative underscores the value of conscientiousness and accountability, pivotal to Slack's company culture. Stewart’s father taught him that every job bears his name, a lesson that extended into Slack's ethos. The episode explores how this principle was embedded into Slack's cultural fabric as it evolved from a small team into a larger enterprise. Next, the show will de...
2025-04-0906 min
A Slack Story PodcastTalking with customersEarning Their Trust: The Early Days of Slack Through Customer ConversationsIn this narrative, James Sherrett recounts his experiences and observations from the initial customer interactions during Slack’s early days of summer and fall of 2013. He describes his role as a silent scribe during customer calls led by Stewart, where he took notes and shared them with the team. Through interviews and demos, James learned about customer communication habits and helped shape Slack’s positioning as a messaging tool for teams rather than 'chat.' His stories illustrate the iterative process of fine-tuning the product through feed...
2025-04-0228 min
A Slack Story Podcast#zorkHow the Text-Based Game Zork Inspired the Creation of SlackIn this episode, James Sherrett discusses how the classic text-based adventure game Zork influenced the development of Slack. By turning work into a role-playing game and drawing parallels between Zork and Slack, the team behind Slack incorporated game-like elements to improve user engagement and onboarding. A key feature, Slackbot, was modeled after text-based game mechanics, providing guidance and interaction in a familiar format. This playful and engaging approach to work helped create a unique culture at Slack and contributed to its success.00:13 The Influence of...
2025-03-2612 min
A Slack Story PodcastPreview releasing SlackSlack's Launch Story: From Zero to Promising in Silicon ValleyIn this episode, James Sheret narrates the story of Slack's initial release to the world on August 12, 2013. Facing enormous pressure, the Slack team embarked on a 'burn down' mission to prepare for launch, coordinating through daily calls and task lists. With fewer than 200 users of their free product and zero revenue, they aimed to see if people would overcome the 'suck hump' of product adoption. The episode details their meticulous preparation, including working with PR agencies and investors, focusing on acquiring influential tech blog coverage, and aiming...
2025-03-1912 min
A Slack Story PodcastSomething We All Work OnCrafting Slack's Go-to-Market Strategy: Overcoming the 'Suck Hump'Computer says:This episode, based on James Sherrett's recount of Slack's journey, illustrates the challenges and strategies employed to market Slack without traditional promotional tactics.The narrative follows the internal discussions and the creation of the essay 'We Don't Sell Saddles Here' by Stewart Butterfield, emphasizing understanding customer needs and aligning them with Slack’s value. It addresses the 'suck hump' — the initial friction users experience — and explores methods to foster user engagement and adoption. The story also highlights Slack's commitment to transforming workplace communication by shi...
2025-03-1213 min
A Slack Story PodcastSo, what is Slack?Before we took the first step to introduce our product, we faced a big problem. How to answer the very first question everyone had: what is Slack?And then, if we got someone interested and keen to learn more, how to answer the immediate next questions: Why should anyone care? Who was Slack for? What did Slack do for them? How did Slack work?Thanks for reading A Slack Story! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.The brainstorming we had done in SF at the f2...
2025-03-0519 min
A Slack Story PodcastMissionary vs MercenaryThe first Slack Vancouver office had no plumbing so we washed our dishes in the bathroom sink. Hot water rarely reached that bathroom so we just boiled water in the office kettle when things got too grungy to wipe clean.Because washing the dishes was such a chore, each of the 3 of us (Stewart, JR and me) had our own set of cutlery that we kept on our respective desks. When one of us got fed up with the state of the office we gathered all the office dishes to be washed. It was an unspoken agreement...
2025-02-2614 min
A Slack Story PodcastDay 1: VancouverStewart was running late. Either that, or I was at the wrong address. I checked the email: 1140 Homer Street, a glass door between a bar that was closed and the entrance to the courtyard of a high-end restaurant.Inside the glass door, I could see carpeted stairs running up to a second floor. The neighbourhood was called Yaletown and consisted of a few square blocks of renovated warehouses and narrow streets – exposed bricks, thick wooden posts and beams.A hundred years ago it had been a train yard. Now its street level was full of ba...
2025-02-1917 min
A Slack Story PodcastDay 1: San FranciscoDay 1: 5:30 am in Vancouver. Get up, get moving. Get the taxi to the airport to the flight to San Francisco. All of it a bit bleary.Land midmorning into glorious sunshine. Hello, California! Get the taxi to the freeway to the office to get started. Onwards to meet the team and hopefully show them and myself that I had some clue about how to succeed with Slack. (Slack? Really Slack?) Arrive with a deep breath and try to find the door.That first Slack office is worth some description. It was on Clementina, a half...
2025-02-1212 min
A Slack Story PodcastPost-Slack: PolytroposNew to A Slack Story? Check out: Introduction: what if the startup myth comes trueOne day, around 2018, back when I travelled a lot for my work at Slack, I read an article in the New York Times about the first woman to translate Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey into English from the original Greek.The translator’s name was Emily Wilson and her story of the process of translation stuck with me. The process itself struck me as epic, and a few years later I did something about it.In particular, the...
2025-02-0512 min
A Slack Story PodcastPre-Slack: Meeting StewartNew to A Slack Story? Check out: Introduction: what if the startup myth comes true.Thanks for reading A Slack Story! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.On a bright spring morning in 2009 I stood outside the Forestry Sciences Centre at Vancouver’s University of British Columbia waiting for Stewart Butterfield to arrive.Inside the building, the MC of a conference I had helped organize was on stage kicking off the program. Stewart had, through a loose mutual acquaintance, committed to doing the morning’s keynote talk...
2025-01-2914 min
A Slack Story PodcastIntroductionJune 20, 2019 – 8 am in New York where the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is preparing to open. 6 am in Yellowstone where I wake from a restless sleep.It's the day Slack shares start to trade as WORK on public markets, and I’m on a family vacation with spotty wifi. So I'm up before the alarm. I check in. The orders I carefully set the night before to turn my speculative Slack shares into real US dollars are missing.No panic. I have a backup. I set them up again, step by step. The numb...
2025-01-2309 min
Pragmatism in PracticeSmall Changes, Big EffectsIn modern work, no one operates alone. Tasks are too complex, knowledge is too specialized and fragmented. We need to work together – to collaborate – to drive the outcomes we want to achieve. Slack's James Sherrett explores how small tactical changes can affect the collaboration culture of teams and how that culture drives the business results of our organization. If you are a digital leader wanting to influence cultural change in your organization, this is the podcast for you.
2019-11-0820 min