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Designing a high-performing remote culture at @AlmanacDocs is quite possibly our greatest achievement to date.
We've always been a *mostly* distributed team. Now thanks to COVID-19, we decided to break our SF HQ lease over the summer.
We've always been a *mostly* distributed team. Now thanks to COVID-19, we decided to break our SF HQ lease over the summer.
This was a tough call––I loved the early days of building something in-person with an incredible team––but the decision made sense for us.
So, how do we do "remote"? Practically, our remote culture means:
1. We respect your time zone and strive to make meetings work during your local working hours.
I'm based in SF and we have folks as far off as Lagos and London. We strive to ensure all meetings are completed by 8pm local time.
I'm based in SF and we have folks as far off as Lagos and London. We strive to ensure all meetings are completed by 8pm local time.
2. We require video for all internal calls. If folks are distracted, we reschedule.
Nothing unique here, but we really value face-to-face interaction.
Nothing unique here, but we really value face-to-face interaction.
3. We have daily functional team standups to go through tasks and blockers, and weekly all hands meetings to keep you integrated culturally.
Energizing people around our mission and vision is key to keeping people motivated when you're not around.
Energizing people around our mission and vision is key to keeping people motivated when you're not around.
4. We also do "game mornings" where we play Among Us—a great way to understand your team member's nuanced behaviors and tactics .
5. We cover airfare and lodging for meetings that require you to be onsite.
I hope this is the norm everywhere and I'm really looking forward to the day when it's safe for us to travel and work together in-person.
I hope this is the norm everywhere and I'm really looking forward to the day when it's safe for us to travel and work together in-person.
6. We meet as a full company once a quarter to work and play together, typically in a fun location between us all. 2019 was CDMX, New York, and Paris. 2021? Barcelona. 
Again, COVID-19 threw a bit of a wrench in this one.
Again, COVID-19 threw a bit of a wrench in this one.
7. We commit to responding to all business communication within 24 hours, and urgent issues within a few hours.
To quote my friend @DarrenMurph, "async workflows make teams more inclusive and disciplined. They prevent Zoom fatigue. A positive for all firms, remote or not."
To quote my friend @DarrenMurph, "async workflows make teams more inclusive and disciplined. They prevent Zoom fatigue. A positive for all firms, remote or not."
With our people spread around the world, fostering a meaningful connection between employees and the company we're building takes mindfulness, intention, and rethinking how people are meant to work together in a remote environment.
I'm curious––what has your company done to build its remote culture? What else should we be doing?
