Stewart Butterfield: The Founder of Slack

Stewart Butterfield is a Canadian entrepreneur and businessman best known for co-founding the photo-sharing website Flickr and the team-messaging application Slack.

Key Facts

Stewart Butterfield is a Canadian entrepreneur and businessman.
He co-founded the photo-sharing website Flickr and the team-messaging application Slack.
Butterfield was born on March 21, 1973, in Lund, British Columbia, Canada.
He grew up in a log cabin without running water or electricity on a commune in remote Canada.
Butterfield taught himself how to code as a child and changed his name to Stewart when he was 12.
He received a B.A. degree in philosophy from the University of Victoria in 1996 and a Master of Philosophy from Clare College, Cambridge in 1998.
In 2002, Butterfield co-founded Ludicorp, which initially developed a game called Game Neverending but later created the photo-sharing website Flickr.
Ludicorp was acquired by Yahoo! in 2005, and Butterfield continued as the General Manager of Flickr until 2008.
In 2009, Butterfield co-founded a new company called Tiny Speck, which later developed the massively multiplayer game Glitch.
In August 2013, Butterfield announced the release of Slack, an instant-message-based team communication tool built by Tiny Speck.
Slack grew rapidly and became one of the fastest-growing business apps ever.
In December 2020, Salesforce confirmed plans to acquire Slack Technologies for $27.7 billion.
Butterfield left Salesforce in December 2022.

Early Life and Education

Butterfield was born on March 21, 1973, in Lund, British Columbia, Canada. He grew up in a log cabin without running water or electricity on a commune in remote Canada. Butterfield taught himself how to code as a child and changed his name to Stewart when he was 12. He received a B.A. degree in philosophy from the University of Victoria in 1996 and a Master of Philosophy from Clare College, Cambridge in 1998.

Career

In 2002, Butterfield co-founded Ludicorp, which initially developed a game called Game Neverending but later created the photo-sharing website Flickr. Ludicorp was acquired by Yahoo! in 2005, and Butterfield continued as the General Manager of Flickr until 2008.

In 2009, Butterfield co-founded a new company called Tiny Speck, which later developed the massively multiplayer game Glitch. In August 2013, Butterfield announced the release of Slack, an instant-message-based team communication tool built by Tiny Speck. Slack grew rapidly and became one of the fastest-growing business apps ever.

In December 2020, Salesforce confirmed plans to acquire Slack Technologies for $27.7 billion. Butterfield left Salesforce in December 2022.

Contributions to the Tech Industry

Butterfield is widely recognized for his contributions to the tech industry. He is credited with helping to popularize photo-sharing and team communication. Slack, in particular, has become an essential tool for businesses of all sizes. Butterfield’s work has also been praised for its focus on user experience and innovation.

Conclusion

Stewart Butterfield is a successful entrepreneur and businessman who has made significant contributions to the tech industry. His work on Flickr and Slack has helped to change the way people share photos and communicate with each other. Butterfield is a role model for aspiring entrepreneurs and a reminder that anyone can achieve success with hard work and dedication.

Sources

FAQs

Who is the founder of Slack?

Stewart Butterfield is the founder of Slack.

When was Slack founded?

Slack was founded in August 2013.

What is Slack?

Slack is an instant-message-based team communication tool that allows teams to communicate and collaborate more effectively.

What is Stewart Butterfield’s background?

Stewart Butterfield is a Canadian entrepreneur and businessman. He co-founded the photo-sharing website Flickr and the team-messaging application Slack. He received a B. degree in philosophy from the University of Victoria in 1996 and a Master of Philosophy from Clare College, Cambridge in 1998.

What was Stewart Butterfield’s motivation for creating Slack?

Stewart Butterfield created Slack because he saw a need for a better way for teams to communicate and collaborate. He wanted to create a tool that was easy to use, efficient, and secure.

How successful is Slack?

Slack is one of the fastest-growing business apps ever. It has over 12 million daily active users and is used by businesses of all sizes.

What are some of Slack’s key features?

Some of Slack’s key features include:

Team messaging
File sharing
Video and voice calls
Screen sharing
Integrations with other apps

What is the future of Slack?

Slack is constantly evolving and adding new features. The company is committed to making Slack the best possible tool for team communication and collaboration.