Slack loses CPO before IPO launch

Slack is going through impactful changes before the launch of its initial public offering (IPO). The office messaging company’s chief product officer (CPO) , April Underwood is leaving to focus on her own investment firm. Tamar Yehoshua, has been chosen to replace Underwood.

Why is Slack losing its CPO?

Slack is a very successful app that connects co-workers founded by, Stuart Butterfield, in 2013. The company has 8 million users and is valued at $7 billion before its IPO launch in late 2019. Underwood was considered Butterfield’s right-hand that implemented many of the app’s strategy and product innovations. During her four-year tenure, Underwood was behind the launch of the Slack platform and a fund that helped other startups. In the midst of Slack’s preparation to go public, Underwood is leaving Slack to focus on her venture capital organisation. Underwood’s investment firm, #Angels, help fund women-owned startups. She expressed gratitude to her former employer in a blog post.

‘At Slack, I've worked closely with brilliant founders to build a product that is transforming how millions of people get their work done every day. Looking back, I realize: I learned how to work, then I worked hard, and eventually I got the chance to help shape how millions of other people work as a product leader and executive here at Slack,’ wrote Underwood.

Butterfield praised Underwood in a statement in a blog post.

‘Beyond her accomplishments in building out the product and expanding the business, April has been an exceptional leader at this company. She has expanded and steered her team through a time of hypergrowth, and honed a high-performance-but-deeply-human culture of craftsmanship and relentless customer focus,’ wrote Butterfield.

Slack’s new logo

In addition to new staff, the office messaging company is launching a new logo. The multicolored hashtag logo has been replaced with the primary colors and rounded rectangles. Slack detailed the design change.

‘The updated palette features four primary colors, more manageable than the original’s eleven, which suffered against any background color other than white. These have been optimised to look better on screen, and the identity also retains Slack’s distinctive aubergine purple as an accent color,' noted Slack.

Slack is shaking things up now to hopefully impress investors in the future.