How Slack Turned Failure Into Fortune

Content Overview

• Transforming Failure into Opportunity

• Pioneering Innovation for Product Success

• Funding the Dream

• Disrupting the Enterprise Market

• The Billion-Dollar Milestone

• Lessons you can take from Slack

Transforming Failure into Opportunity

Think about the times you've experienced failure.

It's not easy, right? Maybe a pitch fell flat, a co-founder let you down, or you had to shut down an entire business. Failure can be brutal.

But here's the thing: there's always a silver lining. And that's exactly what this story is about. It's about resilience, seizing opportunities, and pushing forward no matter what.

Enter Slack — the cloud-based team collaboration tool that has become a game-changer for businesses worldwide. As an industry giant, unicorn, and now international empire, Slack is undoubtedly a monumental success. However, Slack’s roots come from when its founders experienced a transformative failure.

Over the last month, I’ve begun to use Slack for the first time, and I’ve spent a good few hours exhausting the site’s features. As I begin to form my new networking group, I can’t help but realize this is a highly polished and perfected product - the clear result of constant iterations, tweaks, and improvements which have taken Slack to the top of its industry over the last decade. But no tech product ever starts out this sleek, which takes us back to 2009.

Stewart Butterfield, Eric Costello, Cal Henderson, and Serguei Mourachov had formed a company called Tiny Speck, intending to create a massively multiplayer online game named Glitch. As the development of the game progressed, the team built an internal communication tool to streamline their collaborative efforts. But as fate would have it, the game failed to capture the market's interest, and they had to shut it down in 2012.

Yet, within this seeming failure came their silver lining — the communication tool they had developed. The team realized they had inadvertently created a product with potential beyond its initial gaming context. This tool, which they had named 'linefeed’, laid the groundwork for what would become Slack.

So, you might be experiencing failure at this very moment, or you might be one of the fortunate few who can hardly remember its bitter taste. Regardless, we can all take heart from Slack's story. This article will explore what made Slack such a booming success, and dive deeper into the lessons entrepreneurs can take from their hurdles. As for the failure of Glitch, we discover perhaps the most crucial lesson of all; that failure is not an end but rather an opportunity in disguise. The key lies in identifying and seizing the potential that might be hidden within the ashes of disappointment.

Pioneering Innovation for Product Success

Since its launch in 2013, Slack has experienced tremendous growth whilst transforming the concept of workplace communication. But just how did they do it? How did the communication system of a failed video game become this giant running at the heart of many Fortune 500 companies?

Launching a product in a saturated market is hard enough. Without a reason why you stand out, your product will be dead in the water. So how do you overcome the seemingly colossal barrier to entry in every tech industry? Every competitor you face may seem more experienced, raise more funding, or have more staff, but to use a quintessentially-British phrase, the cream always rises to the top. If your product can offer unique value, the market will take notice. The key is to find that unique value.

Slack faced a similar situation in 2013. They realized that their key to standing out was delivering a user experience that cut through the clutter. The de-facto mission statement was to be effortless, yet brilliant. Simple, but innovative. It was a stroke of genius.

Despite being rough around the edges, Slack’s launch 10 years ago made it was going to be ‘the cream’. The platform provided a centralized hub for team communication, combining real-time messaging, file sharing, and easy integration with third-party applications. One of the standout features of Slack is its user-friendly interface, which prioritizes simplicity and ease of use, which I can attest to as a beginner with the software. With its clean design and intuitive navigation, Slack eliminated the clutter and confusion commonly associated with traditional communication tools. Now, teams could effortlessly create channels for different projects or departments, allowing for focused discussions and enhanced organization. Thus, Slack was a winner.

This unique approach to workplace collaboration quickly caught the attention of businesses worldwide. As Slack gained traction, its user base grew exponentially. In just the first eight months after launch, it attracted over 500,000 users. By the end of its first year, that number skyrocketed to 1.7 million, an impressive achievement for any product, let alone one only 12 months old. These figures demonstrated the platform's rapid adoption and spoke to the genuine need it fulfilled in the market.

When any tech business booms, it’s always good to consider why. The best entrepreneurs study and learn from the success and failures of others. So what were the key factors in this flying start?

First and foremost was its commitment to innovation. The team behind Slack recognized that the workplace communication landscape was ripe for disruption, and they continuously introduced new features and enhancements to stay ahead of the curve and shake off established competition. They actively sought feedback from users, incorporating valuable insights to drive product improvements. As entrepreneurs, it’s all too easy to get attached to our products. We need to remember that the consumers will have the final say on our success, and the best way to get them on side is to take their feedback and run with it.

One key innovation that set Slack apart was its emphasis on integrations. The platform efficiently integrated with a wide range of popular tools, allowing teams to access and share information from different applications within Slack itself. Whether it was project management software, customer relationship management systems, or cloud storage platforms, Slack served as a unified hub, streamlining workflows and enhancing productivity.

Another notable aspect of Slack's success was its robust developer ecosystem. The company recognized the value of third-party developers in expanding the platform's capabilities. Slack created an open API and launched the Slack App Directory, allowing developers to build integrations and extensions that further enhanced the user experience. This approach attracted a vibrant community of developers, resulting in a rich ecosystem of apps that extended Slack's functionality beyond its core features.

Furthermore, it cannot be understated the role of Slack's commitment to maintaining a high level of product quality and reliability — it's irrelevant how innovative a product is if crashes are commonplace. It (rightly) prided itself on minimal downtime, ensuring that teams could rely on the platform for uninterrupted communication. By delivering a stable and dependable product, Slack gained the trust of its users, including some of the largest companies in the world, and cemented its position as a go-to solution for workplace collaboration.

In just 18 months after its launch, Slack had firmly established itself as a game-changer in the industry. With over 2.3 million daily active users, the platform transformed the way teams communicated and collaborated. Its innovative approach to workplace communication, seamless integrations, and commitment to user feedback propelled Slack to unparalleled success.

Entrepreneurs, remember to keep your ear to the ground for user feedback — their insights are invaluable for continuous innovation. Slack's journey from its launch to becoming a force in the workplace collaboration space showcases the power of innovation and user-centric design. By addressing the shortcomings of traditional communication tools and introducing game-changing features, Slack was able to capture the market's attention and rapidly expand its user base. Through continuous improvement and an unwavering focus on providing value to its users, Slack demonstrated that cutting through the clutter requires constant innovation and a commitment to excellence.

Funding the Dream

Despite this seemingly roaring success, securing the initial funds to propel Slack forward proved to be an enormous and impossible task. Venture capitalists, hesitant to invest in an unproven concept, turned their backs on Slack. Doors slammed shut, leaving the founders with a daunting mountain to climb. But they were not deterred. They knew that their journey, despite being steep, was just beginning and that the right financial backing could be the key to unlocking their potential.

And then, a breakthrough—a chink in the armor of adversity. In 2014, Slack closed its Series A funding round, led by the eminent venture capital firms Accel and Andreessen Horowitz. The once flickering flame of hope burst into a roaring fire as $12 million coursed through Slack's metaphorical veins. It was a turning point, a validation of vision, and a testament to good-ol’-fashioned resilience. It is always good to have an entrepreneur with all the technical skills in the world at his fingertips, however, an entrepreneur with that unrelenting refusal to give in can be unstoppable.

Buoyed by the success of its Series A round, Slack's growth trajectory continued its upward ascent. In 2015, the company followed up its smash hit, this time smacking it out of the park; they closed a massive Series B funding round, securing an additional $160 million in investment. The round was led by Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), with participation from other prominent investors such as Horizons Ventures and Google Ventures.

Armed with this newfound capital, Slack charted another course for expansion and innovation. New features emerged integrations deepened, and the platform evolved into a dynamic ecosystem. Its user base grew exponentially, transforming Slack into a cornerstone of modern workplace collaboration.

Imagine how the founders of a botched communication system felt when they won over their first big-name clients - NASA, Samsung, and The New York Times. This success wasn't just a win; it validated Slack's unique offering, sparking interest from other industry giants. By the end of 2015, they had over 2 million daily active users and 570,000 paid seats.

And the thing is, it would’ve been so easy for them to give up. Startups fail when they either lose hope or run out of money, and it’s a miracle that Slack succumbed to neither. One can only imagine how the founders must’ve felt facing rejection time and time again. Venture Capitalists, in their baby blue button-downs, shaking their heads and saying ‘This isn’t what we’re looking for’ time and time again. That fight back against constant dejection is an enormous reason that Slack even exists today.

I am sure the journey from underdog to unstoppable wasn't without its moments of doubt and uncertainty, but Slack's unwavering spirit and innovative product ultimately won the day. Its funding journey showcases the power of perseverance, resilience, and the ability to secure the financial backing necessary for transformative growth.

Setbacks are merely stepping stones on the path to success. Embrace the challenges, learn from the rejections, and remain steadfast in your pursuit of turning a grand vision into reality.

Let us recap. With a new and exciting product, which has just been granted a huge valuation, for many, it would be time to sell up, relax, pump the brakes, and receive a few well-deserved pats on the back.

However, far from cooling off, Slack was about to embark on its biggest challenge yet…

Disrupting the Enterprise Market

It’s a story as old as the Bible. David vs Goliath. Rocky vs Drago. It’s said that everyone loves an underdog, but that doesn’t get you far in the current, cut-throat business climate. Slack was about to enter the arena with a real software giant that had been around since Stewart Butterfield was just a toddler.

The company had set its sights on an even grander stage—the enterprise market. This strategic shift had the potential to transform the entire trajectory of the business, either to the stratosphere or to bankruptcy. No pressure.

Slack's initial success was fueled by its ability to transform how teams communicated and collaborated. As we covered earlier, Its user-friendly interface, robust integrations, and focus on enhancing productivity struck a chord with startups and small businesses. As Slack expanded its reach, it became clear that the enterprise market held immense potential.

Stepping into the enterprise arena was no small feat. Established players dominated the landscape, with entrenched systems and massive user bases. The other side had all the latest tech, the staff and the deterrents. There were a million incentives not to. But they did. Slack had to prove its worth, not just as a nimble and innovative upstart, but as a platform capable of meeting the unique needs and demands of large-scale organizations.

However, Slack would’ve been naive to think they would be the only business trying to capture this market. Coincidentally, they had just made a competitor out of the business which once nearly acquired them; Microsoft.

In early 2016, Microsoft had considered bidding $8 billion for Slack, and would likely have been successful, if not for the personal intervention of tech-magnate Bill Gates. The founder was against the purchase, believing that the firm should instead focus on improving Skype for Business. Microsoft would go on to announce ‘Teams’ to the public as a direct competitor to Slack in late 2016 and launched their latest product worldwide on March 14th, 2017.

However, Slack approached its new competition with unwavering confidence, believing in the unique value it brought to the table. They weren’t backing out of the ring, instead, they were ready to go toe-to-toe with one of the largest companies ever.

To maintain its competitive edge, Slack continued to innovate and evolve its platform. It introduced features tailored to the enterprise market, such as enterprise key management and advanced analytics. These additions aimed to address the specific needs of large organizations, further solidifying Slack's position as a go-to solution in the enterprise landscape.

To solidify its mark in the enterprise space, Slack embarked on a series of strategic moves. One pivotal step was the introduction of Slack Enterprise Grid in 2017. This enterprise-grade version of Slack offered enhanced security, compliance features, and centralized administration, addressing the concerns of IT departments and decision-makers in larger organizations.

With Enterprise Grid, Slack demonstrated its commitment to providing a secure and scalable solution that could meet the stringent requirements of enterprise customers. It was a bold move that signaled Slack's readiness to take on the challenges of the corporate world.

However, penetrating the enterprise market required more than just technological advancements. Slack recognized the importance of building strategic partnerships and alliances.

In 2018, the company announced a groundbreaking partnership with Salesforce, one of the world's leading customer relationship management (CRM) platforms. This partnership brought together two tech giants, offering customers seamless integration between Salesforce and Slack. It empowered sales and support teams to collaborate more effectively, bridging the gap between communication and customer relationship management; the partnership not only expanded Slack's reach but also solidified its position as a vital tool within the enterprise ecosystem.

As we look to the future, Slack's journey into the enterprise market serves as a reminder of the power of perseverance, innovation, and strategic partnerships. It showcases the immense potential for disruption and growth in even the most established industries.

Slack's transformation from a beloved tool for small teams to a powerhouse in the enterprise market demonstrates the company's unwavering commitment to meeting the evolving needs of businesses. By stepping up and seizing the opportunity, Slack has redefined what it means to collaborate in the modern workplace and provided a lesson to never back down. Even if the odds are stacked against your dream. Even if the other side is seemingly unconquerable.  Believe in your product and fight for it, always.

The Billion-Dollar Milestone

Checking back in on funding, Slack raised a staggering $200 million in its Series C round, led by the astute minds at Thrive Capital. Slack's valuation soared to $3.8 billion, an astronomical figure that spoke volumes about the confidence investors had in the company.

A year later, Slack closed another funding round, raising $250 million in a Series D round led by SoftBank's Vision Fund. This significant investment further fueled Slack's ambitions and propelled its valuation to a staggering $5.1 billion. The funding round not only solidified Slack's position as a unicorn but also the world took notice. The underdog had become a titan, a beacon of inspiration for all those who dared to dream.

Fast-forward to 2021, and the underdog had risen to astronomical heights. Salesforce acquired Slack for a whopping $27.7 billion, a milestone that marked its extraordinary and tumultuous journey.

Lessons you can take from Slack

The resilience in the face of failure, the courage to innovate, the persistence to secure funding, the dedication to user satisfaction, and the boldness to disrupt markets - are the hallmarks of Slack's success. Throughout this article, we’ve gone through the key stages of Slack’s success, and what any entrepreneur can learn from these experiences. But, if you combine all the lessons that Slack has taught you, there may just be a winning formula for the next tech unicorn. I’m not saying it will happen. I’m saying it could.

Your startup could be the next game-changer. The next chapter on entrepreneurial success is waiting to be written. And you’re the one holding the pen.