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Working for a Virtual Company

Working for a Virtual Company

The challenges and how we at appendTo solves working remotely company wide.

Ralph Whitbeck

April 14, 2012
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  1. VIRTUAL COMPANY • 10/20 years ago working from home was

    called telecommuting. • Now it’s called “Working Remotely”
  2. VIRTUAL COMPANY • 10/20 years ago working from home was

    called telecommuting. • Now it’s called “Working Remotely” • A “Virtual team” is a team of remote workers
  3. VIRTUAL COMPANY • 10/20 years ago working from home was

    called telecommuting. • Now it’s called “Working Remotely” • A “Virtual team” is a team of remote workers • A “Virtual Company” is a collection of “Virtual Teams”
  4. • FOUNDED IN 2009 • Founded by jQuery Team Members

    • Front-end Development (HTML5, JavaScript, jQuery) • Onsite & Remote Training
  5. A REMOTE WORKER FEELS LEFT OUT • Scott Hanselman blogs

    about being disconnected all the time. • Scott works for Microsoft from his home in Portland, OR http://www.flickr.com/photos/webstock06/6773151728/
  6. A REMOTE WORKER FEELS LEFT OUT • Persistent Video Portal

    Office mate • http://www.hanselman.com/blog/ VirtualCamaraderieAPersistentVideoPortalForTheRemote Worker.aspx
  7. A REMOTE WORKER FEELS LEFT OUT • Embodied Social Proxy

    • http://www.hanselman.com/blog/ BuildingAnEmbodiedSocialProxyOrCrazyWebcamRemoteCa rtThing.aspx
  8. COMMON PROBLEMS • Time management • IT Maintenance • Child

    care • Other Peoples Agenda • Time Zones • Distractions http://telecommutingjournal.com/7-common-work-at-home-challenges/347
  9. TIME MANAGEMENT • Responsibility for completion falls with Tech Leads

    • Tech Leads run their own team • Account Managers help Tech Leads focus on getting work done by dealing with client issues
  10. CHILD CARE • Family First as a company policy •

    Kid friendly • Hearing kids on calls with each other is common and normal • Missing work to take care of children is encouraged as long as time is made up.
  11. OTHER PEOPLES AGENDA • Flexible hours • Run errands •

    Help wife out • Pick up a friend in need
  12. TIME ZONES • Work 9-5 in your time zone •

    We’re all in different time zones so no one feels out of place • Be mindful of all timezones when scheduling • Google Calendar does the heavy lifting for you.
  13. SETUP A HOME OFFICE • Find an area that you

    can use exclusively for work • Separate your home life with work life • You want an area where you can shut the door
  14. SETUP A HOME OFFICE • My office is in my

    bedroom • I use half of my room • All work on one side all play on the other • Can shut the door
  15. CHALLENGES VIRTUAL TEAM • Advantages • Increased productivity • Extended

    Market Opportunity • Knowledge Transfer • Disadvantages • Communication deficiency • Poor leadership and Management • Incompetent Team Members
  16. HARDWARE • Virtual PBX from 2600Hz (VoIP) • Office phones

    with personal extensions that are connected to the internet and controlled remotely with a web interface.
  17. THE GOOD PARTS • No commutes • Not spending money

    on eating out for lunch • Can be a part of my sons Rugby practices • Eating hot dinners • Work where ever Working Virtually The Good Parts
  18. THE BAD • Winter Blues • I try to offset

    it with travel for work • jQuery UK (London) John Wards (pictured right, Conf Organizer) • Albuquerque, NM (Onsite training) • Hawaii (Vacation)