Saying No Nicely: A Slack Story by James Sherrett

In 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 functionalities, and how it became a pivotal tool for digital communication and teamwork.

00:00 Introduction: Starting in Accounts at Slack

01:33 Customer Interactions: Helping and Selling

02:24 The Art of Saying No Nicely

03:01 Examples of Saying No Nicely

04:50 Learning from Customer Feedback

06:37 The Philosophy of Saying No Nicely

12:24 Slack's Core Functionality in 2014

14:39 The Complexity of Messaging

15:48 Being a Guide and Guard

16:48 Saying No Nicely: A Continued Practice

17:36 Conclusion: Focus Drives Results

18:03 Up Next: Slack Socks

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