Christophe Pasquier @Slite. Building a lovable SaaS brand

In this episode #38, we are talking with Christophe Pasquier , founder & CEO of Slite (https://slite.com/ ), a modern knowledge base that helps teams escape the chaos of information overload. Slite attended YC in 2018, raised more than 15M$, and is serving tens of thousands of teams every month. Christophe talks about the way he and the team determined their product channel fit and made sure the right customers are able to find them easily. Christophe also discusses the up and downs of building a team and the recent layoffs they had to deal with. This is a difficult but important topic for the founders and an inevitable situation for any business. Chris is inspired by team dynamics, making it easier for customers to collaborate on projects and make meaningful connections.

(0:00:05) – Successful Knowledge Base With Slite CEO 

Chris, founder, and CEO of Slite, a modern knowledge base that helps teams escape the chaos of information overload, explains how remote work wasn’t something people desired when he and his co-founder Michael started building Slite six years ago. However, it was an inspiring choice for them. Their customer pushed them in a slight change of positioning and how Slite became a knowledge base that teams could use to make their knowledge ubiquitous. Slite makes it easier to tap into teammates’ brains with no friction or meetings.

(0:10:53) – Building a Lovable, Valuable Brand 

Slite’s modern knowledge base helps teams escape the chaos of information overload, and how remote work has enabled the Slite team to work more efficiently. We explore how Chris, founder and CEO of Slite, has built a lovable brand by being hands-on with everything that goes on the product and showing that they care not just about the product but also about the team and the customers.

(0:16:35) – Creating a Unique Brand and Culture 

We explore how Slite’s approach to building a brand has enabled them to stand out from the status quo. We examine how the team is able to foster a candid culture of trust and transparency to facilitate effective communication and feedback. We also discuss how remote work has enabled the Slite team to work more efficiently and effectively and how this has helped them create an impeccable Glassdoor score.

(0:26:26) – Tough Decisions and Transparency in Layoffs 

The Slite team had to make a difficult decision to ensure their business could survive a challenging market. We examine the communication strategy they implemented to ensure everyone was on the same page and the considerations they made when determining the best approach. We also explore the emotional toll of the decision and the importance of being transparent and clear with both current and former employees.

(0:31:45) – AI and Brand Sales Channels

Chris, founder, and CEO of Slite, shares his insight into how the team has identified and leveraged a product channel fit for their modern knowledge base. We discuss how successful channels such as partnerships, referral systems, SEO, and public sharing have been developed. We also discuss how to identify a product channel fit and the importance of understanding the customer’s needs.

(0:39:47) – AI in Knowledge Management 

We discuss how Slite leverages Artificial Intelligence features to aid in the organization and navigation of their knowledge base. We consider the three jobs that we have as knowledge base builders and how AI can be used to help with the creation, maintenance, and finding of knowledge. We also examine the importance of having a verified source of knowledge and how Slite is using AI to ensure its knowledge base is up to date.

(0:47:25) – Building Connections and Making Decisions 

We discuss how taking decisive action rather than seeking consensus can help a team move forward. We explore the importance of investing in people and creating a sense of connection, even with remote teams. We examine a unique process Slite has implemented to ensure everyone is on the same page and engaged from the start.