At Catio, we've embraced a remote-first approach from day one, joining other forward-thinking startups in pioneering a new way of working. Since our inception in December 2022, we've embraced the power of distributed teams, leveraging technology and innovative practices to create a dynamic, flexible work environment.

I'm Matt Kharrl, Lead Fullstack Engineer here at Catio. Throughout my career, I've had the opportunity to work with remote teams in various roles and organizations. From startups to larger companies like Atlassian, I've seen firsthand how remote work can positively impact both business outcomes and employee satisfaction. These experiences have reinforced my belief in the potential of remote work to create more flexible, productive, and fulfilling work environments.

In this post, we'll explore how Catio harnesses the advantages of remote work while tackling its unique challenges. From our virtual office setup to our quarterly in-person gatherings, we've crafted a work culture that combines flexibility with connectivity, productivity with work-life balance. Join me as we dive into the Catio approach to remote work - a model we believe sets the stage for the future of innovative, people-first companies.

The Foundation of Remote Work at Catio

Since our inception, Catio has fully embraced the remote work model. This isn't just a temporary solution or a trend we're following - it's a core part of our company DNA. We've deliberately built our entire organizational structure and culture around the principles of remote work, recognizing its potential to drive innovation, flexibility, and employee satisfaction.

Our team spans the globe, with members in New York, Seattle, Vancouver, Pennsylvania, Phoenix, and even as far as New Zealand. This global distribution isn't just a quirk of our hiring process - it's a significant advantage. We benefit from diverse perspectives, round-the-clock productivity, and the ability to tap into talent pools unrestricted by geographical boundaries.

Central to our remote work ethos is our flexible, trust-based work environment. At Catio, we believe in empowering our team members to manage their own schedules. As long as you're present for necessary team meetings during U.S. business hours, you have the freedom to structure your workday in a way that maximizes your productivity and work-life balance. This approach fosters a culture of responsibility and mutual respect, where results matter more than rigid schedules.

Tools and Technology

We leverage cutting-edge technology to create a seamless remote work experience. Here's a look at some of the key tools and resources we provide

• Kumospace: This virtual office platform creates an immersive, collaborative environment that closely mimics in-person interactions. This tool allows our remote team to move around a digital space, engage in spontaneous conversations, and collaborate in real-time, fostering a sense of presence and connection despite physical distance.
• Slack: As our primary communication hub, Slack fosters quick, efficient exchanges and community building across our global team. It enables us to create dedicated channels for different projects and topics, ensuring that information flows smoothly and team members stay connected regardless of their location or time zone.
• Notion: Our central knowledge base and project management tool ensures information accessibility for all team members, regardless of location. Notion's collaborative features allow us to create, share, and update documents in real-time, maintaining a single source of truth for our distributed workforce.
• Loom: This asynchronous video messaging tool allows us to share updates, demos, and explanations. Loom enables our team to communicate complex ideas visually and personally, enhancing understanding and maintaining human connection in our remote setting.
• Jira: This project tracking system maintains transparency and accountability in our distributed work environment. Jira allows us to visualize workflows, track progress, and manage tasks effectively, ensuring that our remote team stays aligned and productive.
• GitHub: As our version control platform, GitHub enables seamless code collaboration across time zones. It allows our developers to work on projects simultaneously and review each other's code asynchronously.
• Brex: This financial management tool simplifies expense tracking and budgeting for our globally distributed team. Brex streamlines our financial processes, making it easy for remote employees to manage expenses via both virtual and physical cards.
• Equipment: We provide flexible equipment budgets, allowing team members to create ideal remote workspaces tailored to their needs. This investment in personalized setups not only boosts productivity but also demonstrates our commitment to supporting our employees' comfort and efficiency in a remote work environment.

Communication and Collaboration

We've implemented several strategies to ensure effective communication and collaboration across our remote team.

Effective Async Conversation

We utilize structured asynchronous communication channels to accommodate our global team. This includes dedicated Slack threads for specific topics, well-organized Notion pages for ongoing discussions, and asynchronous video updates using tools like Loom. These practices ensure that team members can contribute meaningfully to conversations and decision-making, regardless of their time zone or work schedule.

Strong Documentation Culture

We place a high value on thorough and accessible documentation. This practice is vital in a remote setting, ensuring that information is readily available to all team members, regardless of their time zone or work schedule. Our documentation covers everything from project specifications and decision logs to process guidelines and best practices. Notion provides a great knowledge-base management experience which is greatly enriched by AI, making quality documentation easier to find and create. This approach not only improves our ability to share information but also enhances our planning and decision-making processes in a distributed work environment.

Regular Agile Meetings

We maintain a structured schedule of Agile ceremonies, including daily standups, bi-weekly sprint planning sessions, product demos, and retrospectives. These meetings provide frequent touch-points that keep our team aligned, focused, and accountable. They also offer opportunities for real-time problem-solving and idea sharing, crucial in a remote environment.

Building Company Culture Remotely

To foster and sustain a vibrant company culture in our remote work environment, we've implemented several strategies.

‍Quarterly Off-site Events

Every three months, we bring our entire team together for a week-long, in-person gathering. These off-sites, usually held in new and exciting locations, are crucial for strengthening interpersonal bonds. They provide an opportunity for face-to-face collaboration on complex projects, brainstorming sessions, and team-building activities. These events help create lasting connections that enhance our virtual interactions throughout the rest of the year.

Virtual Office Space

Our virtual office space in Kumospace simulates a physical office environment, enhancing our daily remote work experience. Team members can encounter colleagues in virtual hallways and "knock" on virtual doors for quick syncs, fostering spontaneous interactions and easy communication. Visual cues about team members' availability help manage interruptions and respect focus time, much like in a physical workspace. This approach creates an immersive and connected remote work environment that combines flexibility with the collaborative aspects of a traditional office setting.

Balancing Flexibility with Structure

While we offer flexible work hours, we also maintain a core set of team meetings during U.S. business hours. This approach ensures that we have regular touch-points for collaboration and alignment, while still allowing team members the freedom to manage their own schedules. We've found this balance crucial in maintaining both individual autonomy and team cohesion.

Virtual Happy Hours

To foster team bonding and maintain a sense of camaraderie, we host weekly virtual happy hours in our "Rooftop Bar" space on Kumospace. This customizable virtual area provides a fun and relaxed environment for team members to unwind, share personal stories, and celebrate our collective achievements. Team members can move their avatars around the space, engage in casual conversations, and even customize the virtual environment together. It's our way of recreating the after-work socializing that naturally occurs in traditional office settings, helping to build stronger interpersonal relationships despite the physical distance. The "Rooftop Bar" has become a beloved feature of our remote culture, offering a unique blend of virtual interaction and shared experiences.

The Benefits of Remote Work at Catio

We've experienced firsthand the numerous benefits that come with our remote-first approach.

• Improved work-life balance and employee satisfaction: The flexibility of remote work allows our team members to better balance their professional and personal lives. Whether it's being able to pick up kids from school, attend a midday yoga class, or simply work from a favorite coffee shop, this freedom translates to happier, more satisfied employees.
• Organic interactions: Kumospace enables spontaneous digital encounters, mirroring office-like interactions. Our off-sites complement this with focused periods of face-to-face collaboration and socializing. This blend nurtures lasting friendships and strengthens remote teamwork, delivering the best of both worlds: flexible work arrangements and robust team connections.
• Increased productivity and focus: Our team consistently achieves high productivity levels in our remote work environment. This is evidenced by our consistently completed sprints and on-time product releases, demonstrating the effectiveness of our remote work model.
• Access to a global talent pool: By embracing remote work, we've unlocked the ability to hire the best talent regardless of geographical constraints. This global approach has allowed us to build a diverse team with a wide range of perspectives and experiences, fostering innovation and creativity in our work.

Embracing the Future of Work

At Catio, we've embraced remote work as more than just a policy—it's a cornerstone of our company culture and strategy. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, fostering open communication, and prioritizing work-life balance, we've created a dynamic, productive environment that spans the globe. Our approach not only attracts diverse talent but also drives innovation and employee satisfaction.

We're excited about the future of remote work and our role in shaping it. If you're intrigued by our approach and want to be part of a forward-thinking team that's redefining the workplace, we invite you to explore career opportunities at Catio. Visit our careers page to learn more about our open positions and join us in building the future of work.

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About the Author‍

Matt Kharrl is Catio’s Lead Fullstack Engineer, previously the VP of Engineering of Spec and a Software Engineer at Atlassian. Matt is an expert in reactive frontend development and cutting-edge of fullstack engineering. Follow Matt on LinkedIn to stay up to date on his latest thinking and developments.

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