Stewart Butterfield's Journey: From Coding to a $27.7B Empire
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Chapter 1: The Early Days of Stewart Butterfield
In 1993, Stewart Butterfield began crafting websites for clients in his hometown, unaware of the immense potential this skill would unlock in his future. This foundational skill eventually paved the way for him to establish two multimillion-dollar ventures, with the first being acquired by Yahoo for $20 million and the second by Salesforce for a staggering $27.7 billion. Here, we will delve into three significant challenges Stewart faced during his formative years that ultimately culminated in the development of Slack.
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Section 1.1: Early Programming Lessons
Stewart's parents, particularly his mother, were incredibly encouraging during his childhood. After a car accident at the age of 16, instead of reprimanding him, his mother imparted a valuable lesson about driving safety. They even gifted him an Apple II computer, igniting his fascination with technology.
In today's digital age, it's common to see young children glued to screens. Likewise, Stewart was captivated by computers, which offered a sense of control that was rare in his life, dominated by parental and educational authority. This allure motivated him to master basic programming skills early on.
He frequently purchased Byte magazine, which featured programming code that he would replicate and modify on his computer. The thrill of altering the code and witnessing the results on screen fueled his passion for programming. By 1992, he discovered the internet, an event that further expanded his horizons. Learning programming at such a young age was no easy feat, yet he persevered.
How Did Programming Shape His Future?
Stewart's early coding experiences proved invaluable during his college years. Having acquired the basics, he found learning HTML straightforward, enabling him to design websites for clients as a side job. By the time he graduated, he had developed proficiency in various web technologies, which would later facilitate his career transitions.
Section 1.2: The Fork in the Road
Throughout college, Stewart dedicated himself to coding while simultaneously pursuing degrees in philosophy. After earning his bachelor's from the University of Victoria in 1996 and a master's from Clare University in 1998, he contemplated a PhD in philosophy. However, a conversation with a friend who faced dissatisfaction in his academic career made Stewart reconsider his path.
Realizing that the web industry was booming and his peers were relocating to San Francisco for lucrative opportunities, Stewart faced a dilemma: to continue his academic pursuits or to embrace the web. Many mentors advised against a career in academia, suggesting that he would be better off engaging with the digital landscape. Ultimately, he chose the latter, a decision that, while daunting, would prove to be pivotal.
Chapter 2: The Launch of Game Neverending
In 2002, Stewart made the bold decision to pivot away from philosophy and focus on web design and game development. He released his first game, Game Neverending, during a tumultuous time for the tech industry. Following the dot-com crash of 2000 and various financial scandals, the market was not conducive to new ventures.
Despite the odds, Stewart launched the game, though it ultimately failed to attract investors. This setback led to the game's closure, yet it laid the groundwork for his next venture, Flickr. The technology developed for Game Neverending was instrumental in launching Flickr, which he later sold to Yahoo for $20 million.
With the proceeds, Stewart founded Tiny Speck in 2009, where he introduced the game Glitch. While it also struggled commercially, insights gained from this venture contributed to the creation of Slack, which would eventually be acquired by Salesforce for $27.7 billion.
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