Working Remote; from Arendal to Aberdeen — part 2
What’s the best apps for remote work?
TOOLS FOR COMMUNICATION
I’m a sucker for trying out all the latest apps and inventions from around the world. For a newbie the options can be bewildering. But let me tell you what suits our small stage of a pre MVP startup.
SLACK — For direct messaging, phone calls, ideas & updates
Hardly a surprise inclusion on the list! Slack is taking over the business communication world. It takes a little time to get comfortable with it but its a winner for sure. Having everything in one place, being able to track ideas and discussions even in a small team is key.
The integrations and custom apps that work with it make it unbelievably flexible. Of even bigger significance for us is the “bot” focus. We love the way the Slack bot helps you get up to speed. Perhaps one day you will see a Slack bot for Dogleg? :)
ASANA — For tasks, checklists and project management
Asana offers a nice clean interface. Its more than a to do list as you can have a multiple projects assigned with multiple tasks. Tasks can be assigned to individual members and have deadlines set.
I love using it to turn a conversation into a series of task cards. For instance what happens if the user isnt happy? There are a few possible scenarios. So for designing a chatbot this works well to help map things out.
QUIP — For extended writing.
I hate Microsoft word. It’s so clunky and ugly. And it fails totally in comparison to Google Docs or Quip when it comes to collaboration.
Quip can even be used as on open wiki with its organisational folder setup. But primarily I use it as a whiteboard for ideas or for writing detailed plans. I can’t tell you how often I have scribbled something down on Quip when out and about and later continued from the laptop with ease.
Each company has its own domain. So I just open the browser start typing dogleg and up it comes. No searching through desktop folders or copying and pasting from another app. Absolutely seamless. I have a private folder and company folder. You can set individual permissions on every document and folder. It’s easy to just share a link to the document. No attachments or emails necessary!
The guys at Pinnacle can leave comments on the article or even make edits. I’m using it now to write this with a smile on my face!
MEDIUM- For spreading the word
Of course I have to include this platform. As many have found you just can’t achieve as much exposure or views as Medium creates in the short term. It’s a great place to get your long term ideas out there.
It serves as a roadmap for initial testers
HOW I WORK
Everything starts as an idea on Quip. Sometimes two or three documents end up as one. It may be a blog, an idea or a plan. But its important to constantly write and research. We are moving in a very new space with original insights appearing all the time.
If it as an idea or a plan or a project, the writing is broken into small chunks on Asana. This makes for a digestible, clear path ahead and makes it obvious what needs to happen.
I then post a link to the Quip doc on Slack followed by a brief update. Then the debate and analysis begins!
HOW ABOUT YOU?
How do you work? Am I missing any tricks? Our team would love to hear from you. Especially you guys involved in chatbot development!
Check out our prototype here and have your first conversation with Dani the Doglegger :) He’s waiting for you on Messenger!
