Building Remotely

How can you get an insight into your remote teams' productivity and impact it positively? Rob Rawson founded Time Doctor to help remote companies solve this problem, and is sharing his learnings from over a decade of leading remote teams. In detail we discussed:Economic advantages of remote workPros and Cons of working asyncOvercoming hard cultural differences remotelyMeasuring the performance of your remote employeesFind the transcript here. Stay tuned for the next episode in which we will discuss Facilitation in Remote Teams with Daphnee LaForest from Modern Leaders. 

What is a startup city and how do you build it? Prospera, is a charter city in Roatán, Honduras. Their goal is to build an innovation hub that is exploring new models for economic growth and social prosperity. We talked with Trey Goff, their Chief of Staff and Chief Marketing Officer on why they started this project and how they are aiming to make the vision of Prospera a reality. In detail we discussed:Prospera's vision and missionGovernmental competition as a result of remote workProspera's legal structureProspera's relationship with their home country HondurasThe global impact startup cities will have in futureApply to become part of Prospera here.You can find the full transcript here.Stay tuned for the next episode in which we will discuss how to Manage Cultural Differences in a Remote Team with Rob Rawson from Running Remote.

Kim Hansen has over two decades of experience working with startups. His firsthand experience of the complications surrounding equity grants led to the founding of Cake Equity. In this episode, Kim and Sondre discuss the best practices for granting equity to a global remote team. Topics we discussed:An introduction to equity and why it is importantTurning shares into moneyAn introduction to different equity policiesWhat are options and when should you use them? How Cake helps with this process You can find the full transcript here. Stay tuned for the next episode in which we will discuss the Startup Cities with Trey Goff from Prospera. 

After Taylor Jacobson started to work remotely and could not find an effective tool to help with his procrastination, he created it himself. Focusmate aims to increase remote workers' well-being and productivity by pairing them up in co-working sessions. In this episode, Taylor shares scientific insights behind stress and productivity and gives tips on how remote workers can leverage them. Topics we also discussed:The founding story of FocusmateStress signals to look out forDefining focusThe science of FocusmateCheck the full transcript here.Stay tuned for the next episode with Kim Hansen from Cake Equity on structuring equity in a remote team. 

John Lee is a lifelong nomad and founder of "The Work From Anywhere Team", which aims to solve tax complexity for a global remote workforce. In this episode, John shares his insights on tax laws and risks to avoid when employing a global remote team. Topics we also discussed: Emerging tax risks for Remote WorkersTax loopholes you should avoidThe 4 ways of setting up taxes for a global remote teamHow governments and companies will adapt their tax structures to remote workCheck the full transcript here. Stay tuned for the next episode with Taylor Jacobson from Focusmate on increasing productivity as a remote worker. 

Ally founded Juno after experiencing the lack of individualised employee benefits himself.Together with him, we explored how you can offer dynamic benefits for a global remote team. Topics we discussedThe necessity of remote specific benefitsMistakes most remote companies make when it comes to benefits An evaluation of SafetyWing's benefitsThe most popular benefits on JunoWhy you should offer small benefits to your team Check the full transcript here. Stay tuned for the next episode with Lauren Razavi from Plumia on building a country on the internet. 

How can you communicate authentically in a remote team? Elie Dagher is a successful leadership coach and has made it his mission to teach authentic communication strategies to business leaders and teams. In this episode, he shares how you can create a healthy communication culture and handle conflict in a remote team. Topics we discussed: Training leadership in yourself and othersDefining authenticityThe power of non-violent communicationHow to embrace conflict in a team Find the full transcript here. Stay tuned for the next episode with Ally Fekaiki from Juno on offering benefits for your remote team. ResourcesBook: Non-Violent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg Book: Siddharta by Hermann Hesse

After studying economics, Per Borgen switched careers to become a software developer in 2015. One year after taking part in a three-month Bootcamp he co-founded Scrimba - an interactive learning platform for aspiring developers. In this episode, Per gives advice to people that want to start their career as a software engineer. Topics we discussed:How Per got started with coding, and how Scrimba grew from a side-project into a full startup. How hard is it to learn how to code? How do you get a job as a remote developer? Learning no-code tools vs programming languagesHiring a technical co-founder vs learning to code yourselfFind the full transcript here.Stay tuned for the next episode with Elie Dagher on being an authentic leader in a remote company.

What are the possibilities of changing your citizenship as a remote worker? After being fully nomadic for years, Pieter Levels decided to relocate to Portugal. Many nomads and remote workers were interested in the process, so he founded Rebase - a relocation service for remote workers. Starting with immigration and tax services for Portugal, they are moving onto Mexico. In this episode, he shares insights from his relocation process and how Rebase can assist other remote workers with the same plan. Topics we discussed:The process and difficulty of building RebaseMajor trends in the nomad communityWorking on a big vs small company (indie projects vs VC funded startups)The rejection of creativity in modern society.Find the full transcript here. Stay tuned for the next episode with Per Borgen from Scrimba on building software remotely.

Are your team's virtual meetings effective?For guidance on how to structure meetings to optimize for efficiency, genuine connection and motivation, we reached out to Jordan Husney, the founder and CEO of Parabol - an app for effective remote meetings. Find the full transcript here. Stay tuned for the next episode with Pieter Levels from Rebase on the migration of the new wave of remote workers. 

What are the characteristics of a good product? Job van der Voort refined this judgement - first as VP of Product at GitLab and now as founder and CEO of Remote.com. In this episode he is sharing how to create products people love as well as building and scaling an excellent product team. Find the full transcript here. 

Have you tried organizing in-person gatherings for your remote team?Sam Laliberte has a great formula for organizing both virtual and in-person team gatherings that prioritize genuine connections and conversations, with a focus on making it accessible and fun for all attendees. Find the full transcript here.

How can we tell more engaging stories?In this episode, we discuss the nuances of storytelling and its role in modern society with the Emmy-nominated television host and storyteller Jason Silva.Find the full transcript here.

How can you revolutionize institutions that have been set in stone for centuries? We spoke to Jeremy Nixon, the CEO of Omni, an organization with the goal of bringing about a new set of institutions. Find the full transcript here. 

How to do customer research remotely? Karen Mangia, the VP of Customer and Market Insights at Salesforce shares how they talk with customers remotely and how to conduct customer research.Find the full transcript here. 

What exactly does a Head of Remote do?Chase Warrington, the Head of Remote at Doist talked to us about this role and how remote companies can benefit from it. Find the full transcript here.

We talked to Sondre Rasch, the CEO of SafetyWing and our usual host for this podcast, about why he decided to build remote first, the YC application process, and building from scratch without relying on outdated traditional government structures. Find the full transcript here.

How do you raise money as a remote company? Together with Yoeri Dassen from 7Percent Ventures, we are diving into different stages of fundraising, how to evaluate your startup and negotiate with VCs remotely. 

How can asynchronous work simplify remote collaboration?Together with Adam Nathan, the founder and CEO of Almanac, we discussed the benefits and challenges of asynchronous work, how to reduce meetings as a manager, and the art of switching your focus from inputs to outputs. 

How can you connect with your team as a remote leader?We spoke to Sarah Hawley, the founder and CEO of Growmotely about asynchronous leadership, creating alignment in a remote team and leading with integrity. 

How can you create a feeling of belonging among new team members?Nicole Vasquez, the Co-Founder and Chief People Officer of Deskpass took us through the remote onboarding process that has allowed her to effectively scale the company since 2015.

Most of us know how to approach a traditional job search. But how does this process differ in a remote environment? How do you do well in a remote job interview? And what jobs can actually be done remotely (spoiler alert: more than you think)?Kevin from We Work Remotely draws lessons from his own career as well as from his experience in leading the largest remote work community and provides advice on finding a job remotely, making a good impression in a remote job interview and how the remote job market of the future could look like. 

How do you approach your marketing strategies? With an empirical mindset, or a fully data-driven hypothesis?Irina Papuc from Galactic Fed talks about a balance between extensive data research in marketing and a deep understanding of human behavior and current culture. She also explains the importance of SEO and how their remote agency scaled in the last 3 years. 

What did life look like for the early digital nomads? Who were the pioneers that helped shape this movement of location-independence, before it was mainstream?Together with WIRED Co-Founder, author and photographer Kevin Kelly, we have the opportunity to hear about his experiences since the start of his nomadic journey almost 50 years ago. He gives advice for young digital nomads and his predictions for how remote work will affect our future lives. Find the full transcript here.  

How can we make our teams feel more like... a team?Michael Alexis, the CEO of Team Building is helping other companies optimize for happiness, and shares the characteristics of an engaging team-building experience, influences that enhance or reduce employee happiness, and the mindset that helps him stay mission-focused as a (remote) business owner. Find the full transcript here.

What can Gitlab's 2021 Remote Work Report tell us about the upcoming trends and future of remote work?Join us for this special round table episode where we uncover the findings from the report, and what these newly discovered statistics could mean for companies and the future of work with Darren Murph (Gitlab), Tariq Rauf (Qatalog) and Alastair Simpson (Dropbox)!

How can you ensure your remote team stays healthy mentally? As a mental health advocate for remote workers, Melissa Ng founded Bravely, a research-based app that helps you understand and improve your mental health.Find the full transcript here. 

In a time of digital mass collaboration, is it time to rethink how democratic processes are organized? With Pia, the founder of Open Collective and the Democracy Earth Foundation, we explored how modern technology can, and should, influence our democratic processes, the concept of the Nation-State and personal identity, along with the lessons to learn from the rise of Social Media. Find the full transcript here. 

Remote work should be a reality for everyone, no matter what country they live in. Tony Jamous was set on fixing the issues of hiring remotely by helping facilitate the connection of talent and opportunities on a global scale with Oyster, a distributed talent enablement platform.You can find the full transcript here!

Can remote work completely transform rural environments? Will Mercer, the Founder and CEO of Umaya Village, discussed what led to the creation of Umaya, what he learned from creating a community space and what the future of remote communities could look like. 

Creating a healthy, productive and enjoyable company culture is one of the biggest challenges for remote companies. As the Director of Culture and Innovation at TaxJar, Darcy has extensive experience in successfully fostering and scaling culture remotely. You can find the full transcript here!

What is needed to create physical ecosystems for remote workers? How will cities attract the new remote workforce?After recognizing the opportunities remote work has to offer, Nacho Rodriguez, the founder of RePeople & Nomad City Gran Canaria made it his mission to create physical spaces for remote workers that drive a positive socio-economic impact. 

How important is virtual office space for team communication and collaboration?We discussed the possibilities for further improvement in virtual office spaces with Flo, the founder and CEO of Teamflow, who built a unique version of a virtual office that is completely customizable and something we've been using as a team at SafetyWing.You can find the full transcript here!

What needs improvement in your workflow?In this episode, we are joined by Rajiv Ayyangar, the founder and CEO of Tandem - one of the first viable examples of a virtual office. We discuss the importance of a functioning virtual workspace, building trust remotely and how the world of online gaming gives us an insight into the future.Find the full transcript here!

Is your physical and digital workspace optimized for productivity? Have you implemented tools and systems to help you avoid burnout?We're joined by Rodolphe, the founder of Remotive, to discuss the ideal digital and physical remote setup, and how to find the right routine for you in order to create productivity and remote zen.Find the full transcript here!

How to use effective communication in your remote team as a competitive advantage?Uri Bram, the CEO of The Browser & The Listener - two newsletters with the best written and audio-recorded content from a variety of categories curated by a fully remote team. Find the full transcript here!

With the freedom that remote work brings - can we use our location independent lifestyle as an advantage to help us erase world borders?Peter Thompson, CEO at Remote Work Barbados and initiator of The Barbados Welcome Stamp Visa explains what remote workers can bring to local communities, and how to initiate projects that create more opportunities for remote workers.Find the full transcript here!

What are the effects of remote work on the current job market? Teaching the next generation of software engineers himself at Lambda School, Austen Allred experiences first hand what it takes to hire the best of the new remote workforce. In this episode, he shares his experience with cultivating the best engineering talent and the flaws in the current recruitment process.Find the full transcript here!

How you handle a crisis might well define the future of your company.Operating remotely can be an additional challenge, but it also provides an advantage. We're joined by Liam Martin, the founder of Time Doctor and co-founder of Running Remote to discuss the importance of crisis management as a remote company. Find the full transcript here!

Are all remote workers future nomads?As one of the founders of the modern remote work movement, and creator of Nomad List and RemoteOK, Pieter Levels offers his take on the future of the digital nomad lifestyle and its communities.Find the full transcript here!

What does community really mean? In this episode, Spencer Jentzsch, former CEO of Hacker Paradise, shares his experience in growing a community-based company and managing one of the most thriving communities among digital nomads to this date. Find the full transcript here!

As the world rapidly adapts to remote work, it can be difficult to always stay ahead of the curve. In this episode, Steph Smith, the Head of Trends and Product Manager at The Hustle joins our host to discuss how remote makers and leaders can stay one step ahead.Find the full transcript here!More about Steph: TwitterLinkedInWebsite

In this episode, we are joined by Danielle Morrill, former YC graduate and now Head of Growth at GitLab. Effectively managing your team and your own schedule remotely is a very different challenge than doing so in an office environment. Danielle offers valuable advice on how to avoid common pitfalls and tackle challenges she experienced herself while working and managing remotely, as well as avoiding burnout as a founder and manager. Find the full transcript here!More about Danielle: TwitterLinkedInWebsite

In this episode, we are joined by Matt Drozdzynski from Pilot, a platform that allows distributed teams to hire and pay employees anywhere in the world, hassle-free. The world is getting increasingly connected and an ever-rising number of companies are not limiting themselves to local talent, but are reaching out to the incredibly qualified global talent pool. If you don’t join this trend, chances are high that you and your company might be outperformed.Being an expert on the topic, Matt is giving valuable insights on setting up the right systems, avoiding common mistakes and effectively leveraging the benefits of hiring internationally. More about Matt: TwitterLinkedInWebsite

Have you heard of Estonian e-Residency, or wondered how it could help you and your company?In this episode, we are joined by Alex Wellman from the Estonian e-Residency program. Estonia is considered by many the most Digital Nation in the world, and for good reason! 99% of its government services are available entirely online, paving the way for Estonian e-Residency. Find the full transcript here More about Alex: TwitterMedium

In this episode, we are joined by the Head of Remote at AngelList - Andreas Klinger, to discuss the current state of remote work.Whether you’re starting a remote company or transitioning to remote work, this episode will point out the benefits of working remotely and advice on how to handle the situation in the best possible way and what to expect in the coming weeks, months and even years. Andreas sheds a positive light on transitioning to remote work, and his perspective will give you a compelling reason to dive into the new opportunities arising through the current crisis. More about Andreas:TwitterAngellistBlog

In this episode, Darren Murph, Head of Remote at GitLab, gives advice on how to transition from a “traditional” to a remote company in the current crisis. Whether you are new to remote work, or a seasoned veteran wanting things to run more smoothly, this episode is tremendously valuable for everyone wanting to make remote life more pleasant.Darren offers insights into common pitfalls, what mistakes to focus on, and which aspects of remote work are often wrongfully made a priority. More about Darren:About GitLabTwitter

Hello, and welcome to Building Remotely! My name is Sondre Rasch, I’m a founder and CEO at SafetyWing, an insurance for remote workers and companies. I’m excited to invite companies and entrepreneurs from around the world to participate in our comprehensive guide for building a thriving remote company. For the past few years, remote work has been increasingly on the rise. More and more companies are finding out how remote work can fundamentally transform their companies and teams. With the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work moved from being a luxury to a necessity. Still, building (or pivoting into) a successful remote company isn’t easy. There is a shocking lack of resources for such a venture, and what information does exist is vague and unhelpful at best. That’s why we created Building Remotely - a resource project consisting of a podcast, a resource center and soon a book as well. I’m looking forward to exploring the true potential of remote work, and I hope you’ll join us along the way!