Mastering Remote
68 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratingsSingle topic deep dives. Bite-sized episodes. Expert advice to help you work smarter and manage better — remotely. For distributed team leaders and remote professionals. Podcast FKA "Outside the Valley."
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Episodes
Employees vs Contractors: How to Stay Compliant When Remote – Dee Coakley of Boundless | S2E5
December 02, 2020 08:00 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBHiring remote team members internationally? You might want to figure out how to deal with the legal employment, local payroll, and taxes before getting into trouble. Our guest Dee Coakley faced exactly this problem in her previous experience as COO, which led her to co-found and head Boundless as CEO. She breaks down how to minimize the risks when hiring remotely, explains what an Employer of Record is, and shares why using one can give your organization a competitive edge in recruiting.
Recruit Top Talent with a Strong Employer Brand – Diane Tate of Mozilla | S2E4
November 09, 2020 08:00 - 20 minutes - 19.2 MBIf you want to hire good people, you should do employer branding. Companies today must be able to tell a compelling story of their workplace in order to capture the attention of top candidates. In this episode, you’ll hear how senior manager Diane Tate built Mozilla’s employer branding initiative from scratch and how you can do it for your organization.
How a Strong Employer Brand Helps Recruit Top Talent – Diane Tate of Mozilla | S2E4
November 09, 2020 08:00 - 20 minutes - 19.2 MBIf you want to hire good people, you should do employer branding. Companies today must be able to tell a compelling story of their workplace in order to capture the attention of top candidates. In this episode, you’ll hear how senior manager Diane Tate built Mozilla’s employer branding initiative from scratch and how you can do it for your organization.
How to Lead Through Uncertainty – Dominic Price of Atlassian | S2E3
October 26, 2020 07:00 - 31 minutes - 29.3 MBWartime leadership is challenging. In this episode, we discuss strategies to help you navigate through it. Atlassian’s Work Futurist Dominic Price shares “plays” he uses that can make you a more effective leader right now. We also cover what he learned from the “Reworking Work” pandemic research, how you can break old habits to remove obstacles to your growth, and how to create a more experimental culture to foster innovation.
How to Raise Funds Remotely – Joe Blair of Cota Capital | S2E2
October 12, 2020 07:00 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBFundraising is tough, and even tougher for remote founders who can’t meet investors face to face. In this episode of Mastering Remote, early stage VC Joe Blair shares what it really takes for distributed companies to raise money – including how pitching is actually like building a sales funnel and why he thinks remote is underhyped.
How to Transition to 100% Remote – Chris Winn, Creative Market CEO | S2E1
September 30, 2020 03:45 - 24 minutes - 22.2 MBSwitching the way you work from in-office to all remote is no easy task. Chris Winn took on this challenge when he became the CEO of Creative Market, knowing he had to “pick a lane” or risk his team evolving into two separate cultures. Chris shares his journey of managing change and building a healthy remote culture in this episode of Mastering Remote.
Transitioning to 100% remote – Chris Winn, Creative Market CEO | S2E1
September 30, 2020 03:45 - 24 minutes - 22.2 MBSwitching the way you work from in-office to all remote is no easy task. Chris Winn took on this challenge when he became the CEO of Creative Market, knowing he had to “pick a lane” or risk his team evolving into two separate cultures. Chris shares his journey of managing change and building a healthy remote culture in this episode of Mastering Remote.
Chris Ruder (Spikeball): Shaping Up Your Company's Culture and Values
July 01, 2020 09:00 - 50 minutes - 92.1 MBIn this episode, we talked about how shaping up company culture and values, the “a-ha” moment when Chris realized that an office is not really required to get things done, how Chris deliberately works on processes and culture within the company, and his advice for companies starting out with remote work.
Chris Ruder (Spikeball): Shaping Up Your Company's Culture and Values - S1E30
July 01, 2020 09:00 - 50 minutes - 92.1 MBIn this episode, we talked about how shaping up company culture and values, the “a-ha” moment when Chris realized that an office is not really required to get things done, how Chris deliberately works on processes and culture within the company, and his advice for companies starting out with remote work.
Recruiting and Remote Work in a Post-COVID World
June 09, 2020 14:00 - 58 minutes - 107 MBThis week’s episode is a replay of our recent webinar Recruiting and Remote Work in a Post-COVID World. We invited remote work thought leaders to talk about how the recruiting landscape will shift in the “post-COVID” world, how remote work will play a huge role in employer branding, building the infrastructure for your remote team, and more.
Recruiting and Remote Work in a Post-COVID World - S1E29
June 09, 2020 14:00 - 58 minutes - 107 MBThis week’s episode is a replay of our recent webinar Recruiting and Remote Work in a Post-COVID World. We invited remote work thought leaders to talk about how the recruiting landscape will shift in the “post-COVID” world, how remote work will play a huge role in employer branding, building the infrastructure for your remote team, and more.
Jennifer Aldrich (InVision) - Why Remote Work is More Than a Job Perk - S1E28
May 27, 2020 08:30 - 44 minutes - 80.8 MBIn this episode, we talked about how InVision’s culture has adapted to their rapid growth, how their “design-first principle” has impacted their culture, the difference between a community and an audience, and her personal story on how remote work changed her life.
Jennifer Aldrich (InVision) - Why Remote Work is More Than a Job Perk
May 27, 2020 08:30 - 44 minutes - 80.8 MBIn this episode, we talked about how InVision’s culture has adapted to their rapid growth, how their “design-first principle” has impacted their culture, the difference between a community and an audience, and her personal story on how remote work changed her life.
Remote Engineering Team Best Practices (AMA with TaxJar and Help Scout)
May 13, 2020 08:00 - 49 minutes - 91 MBAnother special episode this week! This is the first Outside the Valley episode not hosted by me (you’re welcome). This week’s episode is a replay of our recent AMA session with CTO of TaxJar Matt Anderson. The AMA was hosted by our VP of Sales Mike Fossi, and a special co-host: VP of Engineering of Help Scout (and previous podcast guest), Megan Chinburg. It’s a conversation between engineering leaders of two awesome remote companies talking about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the...
Remote Engineering Team Best Practices: AMA with TaxJar and Help Scout - S1E27
May 13, 2020 08:00 - 49 minutes - 91 MBAnother special episode this week! This is the first Outside the Valley episode not hosted by me (you’re welcome). This week’s episode is a replay of our recent AMA session with CTO of TaxJar Matt Anderson. The AMA was hosted by our VP of Sales Mike Fossi, and a special co-host: VP of Engineering of Help Scout (and previous podcast guest), Megan Chinburg. It’s a conversation between engineering leaders of two awesome remote companies talking about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the...
Brooke Hurford (Workfrom) - Building a Community of Remote Workers
May 06, 2020 09:00 - 38 minutes - 70.8 MBFor this week’s episode, we have Brooke Hurford, COO and co-founder of Workfrom, a platform connecting professionals to real-world spaces and virtual offices. We talked about how Workfrom is designed to help remote workers interact better, the benefits of remote work to local communities, how Techstars mentorship helped her and her co-founder, and more.
Brooke Hurford (Workfrom) - Building a Community of Remote Workers - S1E26
May 06, 2020 09:00 - 38 minutes - 70.8 MBFor this week’s episode, we have Brooke Hurford, COO and co-founder of Workfrom, a platform connecting professionals to real-world spaces and virtual offices. We talked about how Workfrom is designed to help remote workers interact better, the benefits of remote work to local communities, how Techstars mentorship helped her and her co-founder, and more.
All About Pair Programming: AMA with Ben Orenstein of Tuple
April 28, 2020 08:00 - 55 minutes - 101 MBWelcome back! For this week’s episode, we’re going to replay our live AMA session with Ben Orenstein, co-founder and CEO of Tuple. We covered a lot of grounds in this session, including the benefits of pair programming in remote teams, best practices in pairing, the ups and downs of running a bootstrapped startup, and more! You can also find a simplified version of the transcript below.
All About Pair Programming: AMA with Ben Orenstein of Tuple - S1E25
April 28, 2020 08:00 - 55 minutes - 101 MBWelcome back! For this week’s episode, we’re going to replay our live AMA session with Ben Orenstein, co-founder and CEO of Tuple. We covered a lot of grounds in this session, including the benefits of pair programming in remote teams, best practices in pairing, the ups and downs of running a bootstrapped startup, and more!
Remote Work FAQs - a Chat with the Arc Team
April 22, 2020 09:00 - 53 minutes - 98.9 MBThis week we have a special episode on the podcast! In this episode, we have our very first roundtable chat with other Arc team members. During this chat, we talk about our recently-launched Remote Work FAQs. We created this resource hoping to help companies who need to go remote because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This episode’s guests are members of different teams at Arc. We get their perspective on how the current remote work transition has been affecting their team, processes, and more. ...
Remote Work FAQs - Live with the Arc Team - S1E24
April 22, 2020 09:00 - 53 minutes - 98.9 MBThis week we have a special episode on the podcast! In this episode, we have our very first roundtable chat with other Arc team members. During this chat, we talk about our recently-launched Remote Work FAQs. We created this resource hoping to help companies who need to go remote because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This episode’s guests are members of different teams at Arc. We get their perspective on how the current remote work transition has been affecting their team, processes, and more. ...
Darren Murph (GitLab) - Why Companies Should Go All-Remote - S1E23
April 08, 2020 07:00 - 53 minutes - 98.2 MBThis week on the podcast, we have Darren Murph, Head of Remote at GitLab, book author, and Guinness World Record holder! We talked about why GitLab uses “all-remote” to describe the company’s remote identity, how hybrid model remote teams can lead to anxiety and guilt, GitLab’s handbook-first approach, and why “story-telling ability” is essential in remote teams.
Darren Murph (GitLab) - Why Companies Should Go All-Remote
April 08, 2020 07:00 - 53 minutes - 98.2 MBThis week on the podcast, we have Darren Murph, Head of Remote at GitLab, book author, and Guinness World Record holder! We talked about why GitLab uses “all-remote” to describe the company’s remote identity, how hybrid model remote teams can lead to anxiety and guilt, GitLab’s handbook-first approach, and why “story-telling ability” is essential in remote teams.
Steph Smith (Integral Labs) - The Main Qualities of Effective Leadership - S1E22
March 31, 2020 08:00 - 52 minutes - 96.8 MBToday we have Steph Smith, author, developer, and Senior Analyst at Integral Labs and The Hustle! In this episode, we talked about the “give and take” approach in remote hiring and why you should actively hire “givers”, the three must-have aspects of effective leadership, how to be a better communicator through deliberate practice, and more!
Steph Smith (Integral Labs) - The Main Qualities of Effective Leadership
March 31, 2020 08:00 - 52 minutes - 96.8 MBOutside the Valley is back! Today we have Steph Smith, author, developer, and Senior Analyst at The Hustle! In this episode, we talked about the “give and take” approach in remote hiring and why you should actively hire “givers”, the three must-have aspects of effective leadership, how to be a better communicator through deliberate practice, and more!
Steph Smith (The Hustle) - The Main Qualities of Effective Leadership
March 31, 2020 08:00 - 52 minutes - 96.8 MBOutside the Valley is back! Today we have Steph Smith, author, developer, and Senior Analyst at The Hustle! In this episode, we talked about the “give and take” approach in remote hiring and why you should actively hire “givers”, the three must-have aspects of effective leadership, how to be a better communicator through deliberate practice, and more!
Laurel Farrer (Distribute Consulting) - Re-skilling Via Remote Work
March 03, 2020 11:00 - 51 minutes - 47 MBToday we have Laurel Ferrer, CEO of Distribute Consulting and founder of the Remote Work Association! In this episode, we talked about how remote work can help the development of rural areas by enabling entrepreneurship, strengthening local technology culture, and re-training the local workforce to utilize their skills for remote work opportunities. We also talked about how to measure the impact of transitioning a company to remote-first or fully distributed, how to measure productivity cos...
Laurel Farrer (Distribute Consulting) - Re-skilling Via Remote Work - S1E21
March 03, 2020 11:00 - 51 minutes - 47 MBToday we have Laurel Ferrer, CEO of Distribute Consulting and founder of the Remote Work Association! In this episode, we talked about how remote work can help the development of rural areas by enabling entrepreneurship, strengthening local technology culture, and re-training the local workforce to utilize their skills for remote work opportunities. We also talked about how to measure the impact of transitioning a company to remote-first or fully distributed, how to measure productivity cos...
Ken Weary (Hotjar) - How to Regain Productivity in Your Remote Team
February 25, 2020 09:00 - 48 minutes - 88.7 MBToday we have Ken Weary, VP of Operations at Hotjar! In this episode, we talked about the reason why Hotjar prefers asynchronous communication, why software tools aren’t as important, and the “Tribes” system Hotjar uses in project ownership. We also talked about Hotjar’s onboarding process, meeting culture, documentation principles, and why being a self-starter is the number one attribute to have as a remote worker.
Ken Weary (Hotjar) - How to Regain Productivity in Your Remote Team - S1E20
February 25, 2020 09:00 - 48 minutes - 88.7 MBToday we have Ken Weary, VP of Operations at Hotjar! In this episode, we talked about the reason why Hotjar prefers asynchronous communication, why software tools aren’t as important, and the “Tribes” system Hotjar uses in project ownership. We also talked about Hotjar’s onboarding process, meeting culture, documentation principles, and why being a self-starter is the number one attribute to have as a remote worker.
Fred Perrotta (Tortuga Backpacks) - Encourage Remote Team Risk-Taking - S1E19
February 17, 2020 12:00 - 51 minutes - 93.6 MBToday we have Fred Perrotta, Co-founder and CEO of Tortuga Backpacks! In this episode, we talked about the challenges of developing a physical product when you’re a 100% distributed team, building an epic place to work, and applying the principle of “players and coaches” in your company. We also talked about Fred’s million-dollar mistake, how to figure out if someone can be a good remote worker, and why you should always do project post-mortems. If you’re enjoying the podcast, please consi...
Fred Perrotta (Tortuga Backpacks) - Encourage Remote Team Risk-Taking
February 17, 2020 12:00 - 51 minutes - 93.6 MBToday we have Fred Perrotta, Co-founder and CEO of Tortuga Backpacks! In this episode, we talked about the challenges of developing a physical product when you’re a 100% distributed team, building an epic place to work, and applying the principle of “players and coaches” in your company. We also talked about Fred’s million-dollar mistake, how to figure out if someone can be a good remote worker, and why you should always do project post-mortems. If you’re enjoying the podcast, please consi...
Jesse Mecham (YNAB) - Building a Helpful & Kind Remote Team Culture - S1E18
February 11, 2020 10:00 - 43 minutes - 80.3 MBToday we have Jesse Mecham, Founder and CEO of You Need A Budget (YNAB)! In this episode, we talked about how Jesse started YNAB in 2004 and how it evolved to be a remote company, his approach in delivering feedback and criticism, and the deliberate steps that Jesse took along the years to become a better remote leader Jesse also shared about YNAB’s cultural manifesto, unique questions the team uses to assess new team members, and the impact of remote work on Jesse’s family life. If you’re...
Jesse Mecham (YNAB) - Building a Helpful & Kind Remote Team Culture
February 11, 2020 10:00 - 43 minutes - 80.3 MBToday we have Jesse Mecham, Founder and CEO of You Need A Budget (YNAB)! In this episode, we talked about how Jesse started YNAB in 2004 and how it evolved to be a remote company, his approach in delivering feedback and criticism, and the deliberate steps that Jesse took along the years to become a better remote leader Jesse also shared about YNAB’s cultural manifesto, unique questions the team uses to assess new team members, and the impact of remote work on Jesse’s family life. If you’re...
Max Makeev (Owl Labs) - Making Remote Meetings Better - S1E17
February 04, 2020 12:00 - 58 minutes - 107 MBToday we have Max Makeev, Co-founder of Owl Labs, the company that created the Meeting Owl. This is the first-ever episode that we recorded live in Arc’s office, so the audio is noticeably different! In this episode, we covered how their flagship product, Meeting Owl, was created, and the struggles Max and his co-founder faced in the early days of Owl Labs, We also talked about the unique challenges of building a hardware startup, how Max prepares for — and runs — meetings, and his learnin...
Max Makeev (Owl Labs) - Making Remote Meetings Better
February 04, 2020 12:00 - 58 minutes - 107 MBToday we have Max Makeev, Co-founder of Owl Labs, the company that created the Meeting Owl. This is the first-ever episode that we recorded live in Arc’s office, so the audio is noticeably different! In this episode, we covered how their flagship product, Meeting Owl, was created, and the struggles Max and his co-founder faced in the early days of Owl Labs, We also talked about the unique challenges of building a hardware startup, how Max prepares for — and runs — meetings, and his learnin...
Laura Roeder (MeetEdgar) - How to Build a Company That Doesn't Need You
January 21, 2020 08:00 - 54 minutes - 99.9 MBToday we have Laura Roeder, CEO and founder of MeetEdgar! In this episode we covered how Laura built a company that can run without her, why MeetEdgar has a “CEO” _and_ a “President,” and the importance of transparency in company culture. We also talked about why MeetEdgar doesn’t believe in deadlines, why they use the title “advocates” instead of “managers,” and how you can give better criticism and feedback in a remote team. Laura also has a special gift for Outside The Valley listeners...
Laura Roeder (MeetEdgar) - How to Build a Company That Doesn't Need You - S1E16
January 21, 2020 08:00 - 54 minutes - 99.9 MBToday we have Laura Roeder, CEO and founder of MeetEdgar! In this episode we covered how Laura built a company that can run without her, why MeetEdgar has a “CEO” _and_ a “President,” and the importance of transparency in company culture. We also talked about why MeetEdgar doesn’t believe in deadlines, why they use the title “advocates” instead of “managers,” and how you can give better criticism and feedback in a remote team. Laura also has a special gift for Outside The Valley listeners...
Kieran Flanagan (HubSpot) - Remote Work as a Growth Lever
January 13, 2020 08:00 - 46 minutes - 84.9 MBWelcome back to Outside The Valley! For our first episode in 2020, we have Kieran Flanagan, VP of Marketing at HubSpot and host of the Growth TL;DR podcast! In this episode, Kieran talked about how remote work had helped him in his life, why he thinks career opportunities should not be limited by geographical location, and one of the hardest parts of being a distributed team leader. Kieran also shares his insights on why remote hiring is one of the best things you can do for growth, avoidin...
Kieran Flanagan (HubSpot) - Remote Work as a Growth Lever - S1E15
January 13, 2020 08:00 - 46 minutes - 84.9 MBFor our first episode in 2020, we have Kieran Flanagan, VP of Marketing at HubSpot and host of the Growth TL;DR podcast! In this episode, Kieran talked about how remote work had helped him in his life, why he thinks career opportunities should not be limited by geographical location, and one of the hardest parts of being a distributed team leader. Kieran also shares his insights on why remote hiring is one of the best things you can do for growth, avoiding too many processes in distributed ...
Tammy Bjelland (Workplaceless) - Leveling Up Your Company with Remote Work
December 10, 2019 09:00 - 49 minutes - 90.9 MBThis week on Outside The Valley we have Tammy Bjelland, CEO and Founder of Workplaceless, a company that helps remote professionals, managers, and organizations to thrive in a remote setting. Tammy shares about how she got into advocating for remote work, what fascinates her the most about remote work, and why she thinks remote work can improve the education sector. We also talked about the specifics of how Workplaceless helps companies transform into remote-friendly organizations, and whet...
Tammy Bjelland (Workplaceless) - Leveling Up Your Company with Remote Work - S1E14
December 10, 2019 09:00 - 49 minutes - 90.9 MBThis week on Outside The Valley we have Tammy Bjelland, CEO and Founder of Workplaceless, a company that helps remote professionals, managers, and organizations to thrive in a remote setting. Tammy shares about how she got into advocating for remote work, what fascinates her the most about remote work, and why she thinks remote work can improve the education sector. We also talked about the specifics of how Workplaceless helps companies transform into remote-friendly organizations, and whet...
Liam Martin (Time Doctor) - How to Be a "Remote Executive"
December 03, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 126 MBThis week on the show, we have Liam Martin, co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Time Doctor and Staff.com. He is also the co-organizer of the Running Remote conference, the biggest conference on distributed teams and remote work. Liam shares his insights on growing into an “executive” role by “letting the entrepreneur inside you die,” how to help other people work with you, and the literal million-dollar mistakes that Liam and his co-founder Rob made when running their company. We also...
Liam Martin (Time Doctor) - How to Be a "Remote Executive" - S1E13
December 03, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 126 MBThis week on the show, we have Liam Martin, co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Time Doctor and Staff.com. He is also the co-organizer of the Running Remote conference, the biggest conference on distributed teams and remote work. Liam shares his insights on growing into an “executive” role by “letting the entrepreneur inside you die,” how to help other people work with you, and the literal million-dollar mistakes that Liam and his co-founder Rob made when running their company. We also...
Eddie Zaneski (Digital Ocean) - Fostering Remote Developer Communities - S1E12
November 27, 2019 09:00 - 39 minutes - 73.2 MBThis week we are joined by Eddie Zaneski, Manager of Developer Relations at DigitalOcean! This episode is quite special, because we’re focusing on one single job position, which is, you guessed it: Developer Relations. We talk about how Developer Relations is a position that most of the time only makes sense when it’s a remote position, and how the rise of remote work affects this particular position. We also talk about The Remote Developer Experience report released by DigitalOcean this ...
Eddie Zaneski (Digital Ocean) - Fostering Remote Developer Communities
November 27, 2019 09:00 - 39 minutes - 73.2 MBThis week we are joined by Eddie Zaneski, Manager of Developer Relations at DigitalOcean! This episode is quite special, because we’re focusing on one single job position, which is, you guessed it: Developer Relations. We talk about how Developer Relations is a position that most of the time only makes sense when it’s a remote position, and how the rise of remote work affects this particular position. We also talk about The Remote Developer Experience report released by DigitalOcean this ...
Megan Chinburg (Help Scout) - A Look Into Help Scout's Hiring Process
November 20, 2019 08:00 - 52 minutes - 96.8 MBToday on Outside The Valley we have Megan Chinburg, VP of Engineering at Help Scout! We talked about Help Scout’s hiring and onboarding process from start to finish, with a discussion around the “value screening” stage, and how Help Scout makes sure to reduce biases in the interview process. Megan also shared the one thing that Help Scout did in the early days that made them grow solidly, and her top two pieces of advice for engineering managers everywhere.
Megan Chinburg (Help Scout) - Help Scout's Remote Hiring Process - S1E11
November 20, 2019 08:00 - 52 minutes - 96.8 MBToday on Outside The Valley we have Megan Chinburg, VP of Engineering at Help Scout! We talked about Help Scout’s hiring and onboarding process from start to finish, with a discussion around the “value screening” stage, and how Help Scout makes sure to reduce biases in the interview process. Megan also shared the one thing that Help Scout did in the early days that made them grow solidly, and her top two pieces of advice for engineering managers everywhere.
Hailley Griffis (Buffer) - A Peek Into Buffer's Open Culture - S1E10
November 12, 2019 10:00 - 56 minutes - 103 MBToday on Outside The Valley we have Hailley Griffis, Head of Public Relations at Buffer. We discuss the culture of transparency and openness within Buffer, including how it affects the company’s marketing and hiring, how remote work affects Hailley’s productivity, and more. We also dive into Buffer’s internal processes and talk about the most unique parts of them. This includes “internal applications” for new job openings, asynchronous all-hands meetings, why Buffer started offering paid s...
Hailley Griffis (Buffer) - A Peek Into Buffer's Open Culture
November 12, 2019 10:00 - 56 minutes - 103 MBToday on Outside The Valley we have Hailley Griffis, Head of Public Relations at Buffer. We discuss the culture of transparency and openness within Buffer, including how it affects the company’s marketing and hiring, how remote work affects Hailley’s productivity, and more. We also dive into Buffer’s internal processes, and talk about the most unique parts of them. This includes “internal applications” for new job openings, asynchronous all-hands meetings, why Buffer started offering paid sa...