Disagree.

The key thing Slack offers most 'customers' (even those who don't pay) compared to something like IRC is the simple setup/use.

I say this as someone who hates Slack, but has had to endure it on a number of client projects.

Respectfully disagree...group chat has been a long solved problem. The interface, features, mobile app, and simplicity set it apart.

> The interface, features, mobile app, and simplicity

3 of those 4 things I would class as "simple setup/use".

I can imagine someone saying "we switched to/chose Slack/HipChat/etc over IRC because it's much simpler to administer and a lot more user-friendly for people to communicate with the team".

I cannot imagine someone saying "we switched to/chose Slack/HipChat/etc over IRC because I need my daily dose of cat reaction gifs"

My team uses slack because, alongside simplicity, the gif and emoji integration makes for a fun break from the grind. So, childish as it is, we love it.