Prompt Cast
Success story of Stuart Butterfield from failed online games to creating Slack
TLDR Stuart Butterfield overcame challenges from failed online game projects to create successful ventures like Flickr and Slack, with Slack becoming a widely used messaging app for team collaboration. Raised in a counterculture environment, Stuart Butterfield transitioned from studying philosophy to working in tech, eventually leading to the creation of Flickr and the multi-billion dollar business, Slack.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Stuart Butterfield turned failed online game projects into successful ventures like Flickr and Slack, with Slack becoming a widely used messaging app for team collaboration.
06:01
Stuart Butterfield had an unconventional upbringing in the remote backwoods of British Columbia, raised by counterculture hippie parents, and later transitioned from studying philosophy to working in tech.
11:26
Stewart Butterfield started a web competition called the 5K and later transitioned to working on a web-based multiplayer game project with friends, which eventually led to the creation of Flickr.
17:00
Flickr was initially a web-based multiplayer game project that transitioned into a photo-sharing site, with Cal Henderson playing a crucial role in developing the platform.
22:23
Flickr received investment offers and acquisition interest from companies like Google, Yahoo, and Ask Jeeves, ultimately choosing to be acquired by Yahoo for around 20 million dollars.
27:18
After leaving Yahoo, Stewart Butterfield and his team decided to go back to gaming and created a unique game called Glitch, which ultimately shut down due to challenges with user retention despite early success.
32:39
Stewart Butterfield realized that despite trying various strategies, Glitch was not economically viable, leading him to make the difficult decision to shut down the game.
38:21
Stewart Butterfield decided to shut down his multiplayer online game Glitch, but went on to help all laid-off employees find new jobs, which generated goodwill for future endeavors like Slack.
43:40
Stewart Butterfield and his team transitioned from the online game Glitch to developing Slack, facing challenges in convincing companies to adopt the new communication tool due to its novelty and the need for universal adoption among colleagues.
48:33
Stewart Butterfield faced numerous objections and challenges in convincing companies to adopt Slack, but eventually found success through demonstrating its value and utility, leading to rapid growth and a significant increase in revenue.
53:21
Slack grew rapidly from a side project to a multi-billion dollar business, attracting a diverse range of users from small teams to large organizations.
58:29
Stewart Butterfield discusses different levels of wealth and his decision to give away most of his resources to address suffering and inequality in the world, reflecting on the success of Slack and the dynamics of success in business.
01:03:59
Abby Kircher, a teenager from Charlotte, North Carolina, started a successful nut butter business with the support of her family, expanding to nearly 1,000 stores and set to reach a million dollars in revenue by the end of the year.
Categories:
Business
