Buffer is a social media management app that lets users schedule posts and track results. Founded by Joel Gascoigne and Leo Widrich, it became well known for being a remote company and for publishing its salaries.
What it is
The app lets individuals and teams queue posts to social networks and publish them at chosen times. Buffer describes itself as a remote company, with a team spread across many places.
History
Gascoigne began development in Birmingham, in the United Kingdom, in October 2010, and the first version launched on 30 November 2010. In July 2011 the founders moved to San Francisco, and in December 2011 the company announced a round with eighteen investors. In 2013 Buffer published its salaries and the formula behind them. A hack followed in October 2013. In March 2015 the company bought the buffer.com domain for 600,000 dollars, and in December 2015 it acquired Respondly.
Why it matters to founders
Buffer is a leading example of radical transparency in a company, with salaries and decisions shared in public. It also shows that a product can start as a small experiment, a first version built and released within weeks, and grow from there.
Related entries
See Joel Gascoigne, Build in public, Bootstrapping and Content marketing.
Buffer is part of Distribution and growth.
Sources
Wikipedia entry for Buffer. Reviewed October 2026.
