Slack revolutionized team chat by making it fun and productive with its bright colored theme, whimsical quotes, and deep integrations with work apps. It became highly accessible, offering a free plan for everyone with limited search history, allowing anyone to sign up without needing IT department approval. Slack's trojan horse approach helped it spread rapidly across various industries, overtaking HipChat in the market share. Despite HipChat's continued growth, Slack eventually surpassed it and now holds 88% of the team chat market on Zapier. The rise of Discord is challenging Slack's dominance, offering a free plan with unlimited team members and message history, making it an attractive alternative for businesses.