Earning Their Trust: The Early Days of Slack Through Customer Conversations

In 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 feedback and the importance of customer conversations in driving adoption and shaping marketing strategies. Key takeaways include the shift from observing to leading demos and the power of validating customer feedback to build a successful product.

00:00 Introduction: A Slack Story

00:25 Early Days at Slack: Listening and Learning

01:40 Customer Conversations: Building Relationships

03:37 Interview Techniques: Asking the Right Questions

09:51 Positioning Slack: Messaging vs. Chat

11:49 Live Demos: Showcasing Slack in Action

19:06 Taking the Lead: First Solo Demo

21:46 Finding a Groove: Patterns in Customer Calls

25:22 Customer Testimonials: The Power of Word of Mouth

28:07 Conclusion: Reflecting on Slack's Journey

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