Inside Slack: Defining Culture with Four Attributes

In 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

00:07 Defining Slack's Culture: The Four Attributes

01:14 Unveiling the Four Slack Attributes

02:14 Smart: The First Attribute

03:11 Humble: The Second Attribute

04:14 Hardworking: The Third Attribute

05:08 Collaborative: The Fourth Attribute

06:18 Reflecting on the Four Attributes

07:28 The Need for Evolution

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