A Slack Story Podcast

Returning to Slack YVR: A Journey Home
James 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 beginning
02:40 Settling back into Slack YVR
04:25 The people of Slack: at the heart of the company
07:37 Growth and expansion: Slack's global journey
10:18 Balancing work and travel
11:39 Building new programs and enjoying the work


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.slackstory.com

Discovering Executive Programs by Doing Executive Programs
After 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 public speaking engagements, and emphasizes the importance of learning by doing, illustrating his journey from Dublin to various global cities to advance Slack's outreach and impact.
00:05 New boss, new role: adjusting to changes
02:02 Embracing the essentials and finding core responsibilities
02:59 A tour through Executive Programs
07:29 Public speaking and representing Slack
09:49 The pickle of setting: work and location not aligning
15:08 Learning by coing: leading EBCs in London
17:50 Conclusion: returning to Vancouver


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.slackstory.com

Reflections on an Irish Adventure: Transitions and Changes at Slack
James 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 connections made during his time in Ireland.
00:00 Introduction: An Irish Goodbye
00:19 Social changes in Ireland
01:26 Reflections on religion and society
02:48 Brexit and its impact on Ireland
03:28 Personal and professional growth
03:56 Slack Dublin: growth and transition
05:27 It's the people
08:43 Moving forward: new role and reflections


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.slackstory.com

Values of the Slack Product: Part 2
In 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 original values with those required by large enterprises, ultimately transforming Slack's product offerings and positioning it for substantial growth.
00:00 Introduction to Slack's Enterprise Journey
00:29 The metaphor of Enterprise Grid
01:32 Challenges with large customers
05:43 Prospective customer needs
08:33 Slack's needs and market strategy
10:22 The launch of Enterprise Grid
11:54 Values and technological shifts
14:05 Holistic vs. Prescriptive technologies
17:12 The impact of Enterprise Grid on Slack
18:53 Conclusion and future outlook


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.slackstory.com

Exploring the Values of the Slack Product: Part One
In 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 Slack
00:59 The shift to product values
02:01 Personal reflections and Dublin insights
03:55 Technology and its broader context
07:40 The System of Slack
09:20 3 values of the System of Slack
09:49 Default to trust and openness
12:35 A shared reality through channels
15:07 Delivering compassion through service
19:50 Adapting to larger customers
21:10 What to expect in part 2


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.slackstory.com