Week of March 17 – 23, 2026
Executive Summary
The competitive landscape is highly active this week with four major AI-driven threats directly targeting Slack's core collaboration and automation capabilities.
Key developments:
- Notion: Launched Custom Skills for AI, making advanced workflow automation accessible to business users through simple text commands
- Asana: Introduced AI Teammates feature enabling users to delegate work to collaborative AI agents, potentially reducing reliance on human coordination tools
- Monday.com: Released Microsoft Teams integration for direct user notifications from workflows, expanding into team messaging territory
- Glean: Announced Canvas adaptive UIs specifically targeting Slack integration, positioning as a unified AI layer across workplace applications
Asana launches AI Teammates feature for delegating work to AI agents
Asana announced AI Teammates in their March 2026 product update, allowing users to delegate work to collaborative AI agents. This represents a direct competitive threat to Slack's workflow automation capabilities and AI assistant features. The AI delegation functionality could potentially reduce reliance on human coordination tools like Slack channels. (Source)
Glean announces major Glean Assistant updates including real-time voice support and Canvas adaptive UIs for Slack on March 18, 2026
Glean's Canvas adaptive UIs specifically target Slack integration, directly competing with Slack's native AI features. The real-time voice support and brand-aligned content generation capabilities position Glean Assistant as a comprehensive workplace AI solution that could reduce reliance on Slack's built-in AI tools. With over 100 enterprise actions across major productivity tools, Glean is positioning itself as a unified AI layer that spans across workplace applications including Slack. (Source)
Monday.com launches Microsoft Teams integration for direct user notifications from workflows
Monday.com released a Microsoft Teams integration on March 22, 2026 that enables direct notifications to specific users from workflows. This represents a direct competitive move into Slack's core messaging territory by integrating workflow management with real-time team communication. The feature positions Monday.com as a more comprehensive work platform that bridges project management and team messaging. (Source)
Notion launches Custom Skills for AI, enabling automated task commands available to business users
On March 20, 2026, Notion released Custom Skills functionality that allows users to convert repetitive AI tasks into accessible commands from the text selection menu, targeting Business and Enterprise plans. This feature directly competes with Slack's workflow automation and AI capabilities by making advanced AI functionality more accessible to enterprise users. The timing suggests Notion is aggressively expanding its AI toolset to capture more enterprise workflow use cases. (Source)
Asana
ELEVATED- Asana launches AI Teammates feature for delegating work to AI agents (Source)
- Asana announces CFO leadership change with internal promotion (Source)
Notable press coverage 2
Asana launches AI Teammates feature for delegating work to AI agents
Asana announced AI Teammates in their March 2026 product update, allowing users to delegate work to collaborative AI agents. This represents a direct competitive threat to Slack's workflow automation capabilities and AI assistant features. The AI delegation functionality could potentially reduce reliance on human coordination tools like Slack channels. (Source)
Asana announces CFO leadership change with internal promotion
Asana promoted Aziz Megji from FP&A head to CFO, replacing Sonalee Parekh who resigned effective March 23, 2026. This internal promotion suggests organizational stability and continuity in financial strategy. The leadership change appears routine and doesn't directly impact Slack's competitive position. (Source)
Discord
LOW- Discord delays global rollout of age verification system until second half of 2026 following user backlash (Source)
Customer sentiment (reviews, social) 1
Discord delays global rollout of age verification system until second half of 2026 following user backlash
Discord postponed its controversial age verification feature after facing significant user resistance, indicating potential challenges with user experience and privacy concerns. This delay suggests Discord is struggling to balance safety measures with user satisfaction, which could create an opportunity for Slack to emphasize its professional, secure communication environment for business users who value privacy and streamlined experiences. (Source)
Glean
ELEVATED- Glean announces strategic consulting partnership with Logic Pursuits for enterprise AI transformation in March 2026 (Source)
- Glean announces major Glean Assistant updates including real-time voice support and Canvas adaptive UIs for Slack on March 18, 2026 (Source)
Partnerships & integrations 1
Glean announces strategic consulting partnership with Logic Pursuits for enterprise AI transformation in March 2026
Logic Pursuits, a global data and AI consulting firm, will provide strategic advisory services for Glean deployments including AI strategy development, architecture design, and implementation support across US, India, and LATAM markets. This partnership strengthens Glean's go-to-market strategy for enterprise AI adoption, potentially creating competitive pressure on Slack's position in workplace AI tools as organizations seek comprehensive AI transformation beyond just communication platforms. (Source)
Product launches & feature updates 1
Glean announces major Glean Assistant updates including real-time voice support and Canvas adaptive UIs for Slack on March 18, 2026
Glean's Canvas adaptive UIs specifically target Slack integration, directly competing with Slack's native AI features. The real-time voice support and brand-aligned content generation capabilities position Glean Assistant as a comprehensive workplace AI solution that could reduce reliance on Slack's built-in AI tools. With over 100 enterprise actions across major productivity tools, Glean is positioning itself as a unified AI layer that spans across workplace applications including Slack. (Source)
Google Workspace / Chat
MODERATE- Google Chat introduces dedicated Meetings section to organize conversation lists and centralize meeting discussions (Source)
- Google Workspace Business Starter plan increases to $9.60/month, up 37% from $7/month (Source)
Notable press coverage 1
Google Chat introduces dedicated Meetings section to organize conversation lists and centralize meeting discussions
Google announced a new Meetings section in Google Chat during the week of March 17-23, 2026, which creates a dedicated space for meeting-related conversations separate from other chat threads. This organizational improvement could enhance user experience by reducing conversation clutter and making meeting follow-ups more accessible, potentially addressing one area where Slack users sometimes struggle with message organization across channels and DMs. (Source)
Pricing & packaging changes 1
Google Workspace Business Starter plan increases to $9.60/month, up 37% from $7/month
A user reported receiving notification on March 15, 2026 about this price increase for the annual Business Starter plan. This pricing change could make Google Workspace less competitive against Slack's entry-level offerings, potentially creating an opportunity for Slack to capture price-sensitive customers looking for collaboration alternatives. The increase represents a significant jump that may force small businesses to reconsider their collaboration tool choices. (Source)
Monday.com
ELEVATED- Monday.com faces class action lawsuit with May 11, 2026 deadline for lead plaintiff designation (Source)
- Monday.com launches Microsoft Teams integration for direct user notifications from workflows (Source)
- Monday.com releases AI-powered marketing image generator called 'monday sidekick' (Source)
- Monday.com enhances template management with expanded instance limits and automatic board view syncing (Source)
Notable press coverage 1
Monday.com faces class action lawsuit with May 11, 2026 deadline for lead plaintiff designation
Multiple law firms are reminding investors of an upcoming deadline for a securities fraud class action lawsuit against Monday.com, covering shares purchased between September 17, 2025 and February 6, 2026. This legal challenge could create uncertainty around Monday.com's business practices and potentially impact their competitive positioning in the workplace collaboration market. For Slack, this represents an opportunity as legal distractions may slow Monday.com's product development and market expansion efforts. (Source)
Product launches & feature updates 3
Monday.com launches Microsoft Teams integration for direct user notifications from workflows
Monday.com released a Microsoft Teams integration on March 22, 2026 that enables direct notifications to specific users from workflows. This represents a direct competitive move into Slack's core messaging territory by integrating workflow management with real-time team communication. The feature positions Monday.com as a more comprehensive work platform that bridges project management and team messaging. (Source)
Monday.com releases AI-powered marketing image generator called 'monday sidekick'
On March 22, 2026, Monday.com launched 'monday sidekick' for generating professional marketing images, expanding their AI capabilities beyond project management into content creation. While not directly competitive with Slack's core messaging features, this demonstrates Monday.com's broader platform strategy to become an all-in-one work solution. This could reduce customer need for multiple specialized tools including some that integrate with Slack. (Source)
Monday.com enhances template management with expanded instance limits and automatic board view syncing
Monday.com released two template management features on March 22, 2026: increased instance limits to 1,000 per template without account caps, and automatic board view syncing across all template instances. These improvements strengthen Monday.com's project management capabilities and scalability for enterprise customers. While not directly competitive with Slack's messaging, these features support Monday.com's positioning as a comprehensive work platform alternative. (Source)
Notion
ELEVATED- Notion launches Custom Skills for AI, enabling automated task commands available to business users (Source)
- Notion adds Custom Instructions to AI Meeting Notes feature (Source)
- Notion expands Academy and certifications to 6 additional languages (Source)
Product launches & feature updates 3
Notion launches Custom Skills for AI, enabling automated task commands available to business users
On March 20, 2026, Notion released Custom Skills functionality that allows users to convert repetitive AI tasks into accessible commands from the text selection menu, targeting Business and Enterprise plans. This feature directly competes with Slack's workflow automation and AI capabilities by making advanced AI functionality more accessible to enterprise users. The timing suggests Notion is aggressively expanding its AI toolset to capture more enterprise workflow use cases. (Source)
Notion adds Custom Instructions to AI Meeting Notes feature
On March 18, 2026, Notion enhanced its AI Meeting Notes with custom instructions capability. This feature directly competes with Slack's meeting integration and AI summarization tools, particularly as organizations increasingly rely on AI-powered meeting documentation. The enhancement indicates Notion is strengthening its position in the collaborative workspace market where Slack operates. (Source)
Notion expands Academy and certifications to 6 additional languages
On March 19, 2026, Notion made its Academy and certification programs available in 6 new languages, signaling international expansion efforts. This educational initiative could help Notion capture enterprise customers globally by providing structured training programs, potentially competing with Slack's user adoption strategies. The move suggests Notion is investing in user education to drive enterprise adoption. (Source)