Slack: It’s Always Been About the People

I’ve struggled with how to properly capture the emotion of this historic day for Slack. The company's history is filled with all of the elements of a storybook inspired entrepreneurial tale; a grand vision, a pivot, a meteoric rise, and today, a public company—so which do you focus on when there are so many?

For me, the undeniable constant through this decade plus journey has been the people.

As I was writing this post, I looked back on our original investment memo for some inspiration. I don’t think Stewart, Cal, Eric or Serguei have ever seen this, but it’s as true now as it was then:

As investors it is easy to get lost in the complexities of product market fit or connecting a young company to an established category. Slack is a great reminder that the most interesting companies are often the ones whose courses aren’t easily charted. The commonalities between those companies start and end with the drive, creativity and resilience of their founders and early team members.

Special thanks to the Slack Management team (Stewart, Cal, Allen, David, Tamar, Allan, Ali, Robby, Terry, Bob, and Julie) and the thousands of team members whose commitment to the company and your customers is second to none.  Thank you also to a great group of co-investors and board members (John, Edith, Sarah, Graham and Chamath).

It’s with great pride that I watch you today ring the NYSE bell. Thank you Stewart, Cal, Eric and Serguei for building something truly special and “bringing what you imagine to life.” We feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to be a part of your team and come along for this incredible ride.  

-- Andrew Braccia