2013 founded Standing
messaging · slack.com
Slack
the moat is real
13 years 6 days and counting
Stewart Butterfield, 2013, out of a failed game. Still the paid chat that feels like a workplace.
Why it lasted
- It turned IRC-for-work into a company default and made search across chat a reason to stay.
- Salesforce bought it and the login did not vanish, which is the adult form of surviving.
Times it almost ended
- Microsoft Teams coming free with Office was the obvious funeral. Slack kept the companies that cared about the product.
- The 2023 slowdown and 'email but worse' jokes. Still the watercooler for a certain kind of firm.
What would finish it
- Office bundles making Teams good enough everywhere, plus a generation that lives in Discord even at work.
Questions
Is Slack still up?
Yes, with a Standing verdict: the moat is real. Founded 2013.
How long has Slack been around?
Slack has been up since 2013-08-14.
Why did Slack survive?
It turned IRC-for-work into a company default and made search across chat a reason to stay.
Could Slack still die?
Office bundles making Teams good enough everywhere, plus a generation that lives in Discord even at work.