All Segments
a16z Podcast | Tools for How We Work Today
22 segments available
You've heard the story: Slack began as a game. But almost exactly 1 year ago today, the internal tool the team built for its own use became a team communication app that anyone (and especially enterprises) can use -- and is now one of the fastest growing ones at that. It seems like collaboration is "something software should be helping us with” Slack co-founder Stewart Butterfield observes, yet it typically isn't. So what can an app like Slack tell us about how we work today, and how the nature of work will change (fewer meetings? less emails)? Butterfield is joined in this edition of the a16z podcast by a16z board partner Steven Sinofsky and a16z's Benedict Evans. The trio examines the origins of messaging and task management tools (many of which Sinofsky worked on at Microsoft) -- and how the advent of cloud-based services and mobile in particular have changed the requirements for modern workplace tools and information management.
Segments Timeline
Introduction to Slack's Origins
In this segment, Steven Sinofsky introduces the podcast and the guests, including Stewart Butterfield, co-founder and CEO of Slack. They set the stage for a discussion about Slack's origins, its evolution from an internal tool to a widely-used communication app, and the challenges of information sharing in traditional organizations.
"good afternoon everybody my name is Steven Sinofsky and I'm here with another edition of the a 16 Z podcast also with us today is Benedict Evans and also excited to have Stewart Butterfield the a co-f..."
The Ineffectiveness of Traditional Tools
Stewart Butterfield reflects on the common frustrations with traditional communication tools like email and project management systems. He shares his experiences with these tools and highlights the need for better collaboration software, setting the context for the development of Slack as a solution to these inefficiencies.
"before you had slack up and running both the company and the product and when you were just part of another organization or a larger organization how did you personally go about sharing information th..."
The Birth of Slack from IRC
Butterfield discusses the early days of Slack's development, explaining how the team initially used IRC for communication. He describes the limitations of IRC, such as the lack of message archiving, which led them to create Slack as a more effective communication tool that could store and search messages.
"have used ad hoc email obviously quite a bit by ad hoc I mean manually entering the two and the CC or the BCC fields mailing lists wiki's purpose-built project management tools tasks tracking bug trac..."
Building Features on Top of IRC
In this segment, Butterfield elaborates on how the team built additional features on top of their IRC setup, such as message archiving and mobile access. He explains how these features evolved as the team grew, leading to a shift away from email and towards a more integrated communication system.
"exist after the people are there no IRC is twenty five years old actually predates the web by a little bit a little bit yeah I know monkey yeah I mean it's a little bit wonky to look definitely most I..."
The Shift to Mobile Communication
Butterfield emphasizes the importance of mobile access in Slack's design, sharing how the need for immediate communication influenced their development process. He discusses the habit of checking messages first thing in the morning and how Slack aimed to address this critical business need.
"the course of about three half years that's just her out there kiss Benedict here and that I think that's a fascinating I mean like even though it was six years ago you sort of were like right away mo..."
The Feedback Loop of Communication
Butterfield describes a positive feedback loop that emerged within the Slack team, where increased attention to IRC led to more information being routed through it. He explains how this cycle reinforced the use of Slack as the primary communication tool, ultimately leading to its development as a standalone product.
"years we built more and more little features and tools on top of IRC because what we saw happening was when we hired the first employees of the number-5 at the company through to the forty-fifth emplo..."
From Game Development to Slack
In this segment, Butterfield shares the transition from their initial game development project to focusing solely on building Slack. He reflects on the lessons learned from their experiences and how they recognized the need for a dedicated communication tool in the workplace.
"so the game didn't work out obviously we shut it down and at the point we shut it down we realized he would never work without a tool like this again and instead of being a hacky series of kind of jur..."
Defining Slack's Purpose
Butterfield attempts to succinctly define what Slack is and its purpose in the modern workplace. He highlights the importance of having all team communication in one place, making it instantly searchable and accessible from anywhere, which is crucial for effective collaboration.
"think a lot of the tools in the space do you arrive arise from that um here's a pretty straightforward one that I think a lot of times people always find tricky I think it's really important for for p..."
Revolutionizing Workplace Interaction
In this segment, the discussion shifts to how Slack is redefining workplace interactions. Butterfield explains how Slack facilitates communication that goes beyond traditional methods, allowing for a more integrated and efficient workflow that can adapt to various business needs.
"instantly searchable so we put a lot of assisting a search so first of all just you know the quality of the search is very good and we have a unique approach to message search which we can get into it..."
The Changing Landscape of Software
Butterfield reflects on the evolution of software in the workplace, contrasting the dominance of Microsoft in the past with the current landscape filled with diverse cloud-based solutions. He discusses how this shift has created new opportunities for tools like Slack to thrive.
"more portable interface so suddenly you can kind of go and see your search all of your help tickets in an iPhone app rather than having to have an iPhone app from that particular provider so it'd be k..."
Navigating Software Silos
Butterfield addresses the challenge of software silos in modern workplaces, where different tools like Zendesk and GitHub operate independently. He explains how this fragmentation complicates information management and highlights the need for solutions that can bring these disparate tools together. The discussion underscores the importance of seamless integration in enhancing productivity and collaboration within organizations.
"nothing works together and this isn't anyone's intention but if we manage our customers issues in Zendesk and we manage our developer issues in github those are two things that ought to be at least ac..."
The Evolution of Search in Work Tools
This segment explores the transformation of search functionalities in workplace tools, comparing past experiences with modern solutions. Butterfield reflects on how the cognitive load of managing emails and files has decreased with improved search capabilities, allowing users to find information more efficiently. He contrasts this with older systems, emphasizing the significance of effective search in enhancing productivity.
"is that something yeah no I think in one case you end up with a very lowest common denominator kind of integration which is smashing down whatever kind of data into a message but I think that's saved ..."
From Filers to Pillars: Changing Work Habits
Butterfield discusses the shift in how employees manage information, moving from a 'filer' mentality to a more fluid approach. He highlights the importance of reducing friction in information retrieval and how modern tools like Slack facilitate this change. The conversation touches on the need for organizations to adapt their information management strategies to support this new way of working.
"in contrast to my experience and i think most people's experience and I'm trying to I'm hedging so much because you're in the room but uh feel free you know got it you know what you want make a clippi..."
Reducing Friction in Task Management
In this segment, Butterfield shares insights on how reducing friction in task management can lead to better outcomes. He illustrates this with an example of integrating bug tracking within Slack, which simplifies the process of reporting issues. The discussion emphasizes the importance of minimizing barriers to action in workplace tools to enhance efficiency and responsiveness.
"and the problem was and I so this is the question really is the typical folks in IT they are trying to figure out an information sort of management solution for the for the enterprise or the company t..."
Transparency in Team Communication
The discussion shifts to the value of transparency in team communication facilitated by Slack. Butterfield contrasts the experience of joining a team using Slack, where new members can access historical conversations and decisions, with the isolation of email communication, which leaves new employees with an empty inbox and no context.
"a lot yeah and again it does and that lowest common denominator so if you use something just to extend this is the example if you use something really complicated like Bugzilla or Jarrow or some more ..."
The Slow Adoption of Slack
Butterfield describes the gradual process of Slack adoption within organizations. He notes that it often takes time for teams to fully integrate Slack into their workflows, contrasting it with the immediate gratification of email, and emphasizes the importance of achieving full team participation for Slack to be effective.
"this is stilled in our experience that slack is not really designed for a mobile only workforce and not designed for jobs where people are going to have a computing device in their hands most of the t..."
Email vs. Slack: A Communication Paradigm Shift
In this segment, Butterfield discusses how Slack can replace email as the primary communication tool within organizations. He acknowledges that while email will not disappear, Slack offers a more integrated and transparent communication experience that can enhance productivity for knowledge workers.
"yeah that we should look at our andreessen horowitz members because I think we're all like we might be an interesting use case because that because we're very mobile and I think a lot but what is it l..."
The Evolving Nature of Work
The conversation explores how tools like Slack can change the nature of work, similar to how Twitter has transformed journalism. Butterfield reflects on the potential for Slack to reshape workflows and communication patterns, emphasizing the need for organizations to adapt to these changes to remain competitive.
"sense of how people interact with each other and they can get a sense of who knows the answers to all kinds of questions and who really makes the decisions and of course they also through search have ..."
Transforming Workflows with Slack
Butterfield explores how Slack can change daily workflows, particularly for knowledge workers. He acknowledges that while Slack is a powerful tool, its effectiveness depends on how teams adapt their communication habits. This segment emphasizes the challenges of transitioning to new tools and the need for organizations to evolve their practices.
"and I think you know it slack is not some passe it's not an it's not magic it's not going to transform people by itself it's a tool yeah and it's a good tool but people will especially in the transiti..."
The Challenge of Change
This segment delves into the difficulties organizations face when adopting Slack. Butterfield discusses the ingrained behaviors that teams must change and the importance of user experience in facilitating this transition. He shares insights on how Slack's design must evolve as teams grow, highlighting the need for flexibility in communication tools.
"own case you know we're the people who make slack when we first started it was eight people working on the team and so slack was absolutely perfectly designed for an eight-person team and if you were ..."
Streamlining Communication
Butterfield outlines the benefits of using Slack to streamline communication, such as reducing the need for status meetings and consolidating information in one place. He contrasts traditional reporting methods with the efficiency of Slack, emphasizing how it can save time and improve collaboration among teams.
"in itself the other one is canceling a lot of a very specific type of meeting which is the daily standup or the status report kind of meetings because there's a steady flow of information emanated fro..."
The Secret Sauce of Slack
In this segment, Butterfield reflects on what makes Slack unique compared to other tools. He discusses the importance of flexibility in communication and how avoiding rigid structures allows for a broader range of use cases. This insight reveals the underlying philosophy that drives Slack's design and its appeal to diverse teams.
"paper copy of PowerPoint so let's super yeah I think we could keep going on this for a long time because we and maybe we'll end up doing a part two at some point to talk more about the depth of this b..."