Slack the 3 8 billion startup used to be a game developer called tiny speck which made a massively multiplayer game called glitch that shut down in 2012

Slack: From Game Developer to Communication Platform

In the realm of startups, success stories often come in unexpected packages. Such is the case for Slack, the renowned $3.8 billion communication platform that has revolutionized workplace collaboration. However, before it became the go-to tool for businesses worldwide, Slack had an entirely different beginning as a game development company called Tiny Speck.

Tiny Speck dabbled in the world of gaming, creating a massively multiplayer online game known as Glitch. This imaginative game was designed to offer players a vibrant virtual world filled with quirky characters and collaborative gameplay. Unfortunately, despite its initial popularity, Glitch was met with unforeseen challenges and was shut down in 2012.

The closure of Glitch, though disappointing for the team at Tiny Speck, proved to be a blessing in disguise. It prompted the company’s founders to rethink their goals and explore other avenues where their skills and expertise could be utilized.

During their journey, the Tiny Speck team recognized a critical issue in workplace communication: the lack of a centralized platform that could foster efficient collaboration and streamline information exchange across teams. Drawing on their experiences as game developers, they began building a prototype for what would eventually become Slack.

Slack, with its intuitive interface and powerful features, quickly gained traction and became the ultimate solution for modern workplace communication. Its real-time messaging, file sharing, and integrations with various tools and services, all housed in one centralized platform, revolutionized the way teams collaborate.

Today, Slack is not just a communication tool; it’s a platform that allows users to customize their experience by adding apps, bots, and integrations tailored to their specific needs. Whether you need to manage projects, facilitate team discussions, or simply stay up-to-date with important notifications, Slack has you covered.

With its roots in game development, Slack has adopted an innovative approach to communication, enabling enterprises of all sizes to embrace collaboration effortlessly. By combining their knowledge of building immersive virtual worlds with the practical demands of a modern workplace, the team at Tiny Speck, now known as Slack Technologies, transformed the way we communicate in professional settings.

Sources:

• Inside the video game roots of Slack