GSV VENTURES BREAKFAST CLUB
Going Remote with Darren Murph, Head of Remote at GitLab
We spoke with Darren to understand how start-ups can succeed minus the brick-and-mortar.
For our very first online GSV Breakfast Club, we spoke with Darren Murph, Head of Remote at GitLab.
A pioneer in the remote working space, Darren champions GitLab’s remote-first initiatives and works at the intersection of culture, transparency, hiring, and collaboration. He co-authored the famous GitLab remote work guide, a staple for GitLab’s 1,200+ employees spread across 67 countries.
Prior to GitLab, he wrote a book on transitioning to a WFH lifestyle. Darren also worked as Director of Global Communications at Dolby Laboratories and holds the Guinness World Record for being the most prolific professional blogger!
Unsurprisingly, the world is seeking Darren’s advice during the international stay-at-home efforts. GSV’s founders and friends had the lucky opportunity to virtually ask his thoughts about succeeding without a shared office space.
Here are our favorite insights from Breakfast Club with Darren:
First and foremost, accept that this adjustment may not be easy.
“What you’re experiencing now…is not normal. This is forced work from home during a pandemic which is very different from intentionally structured remote work.”
Facing a global pandemic, financial strain, familial obligations, and an overall disruption to typical routine is atypical for all of us. Don’t sweat it if your home office isn’t perfectly configured, you take a business call wearing sweatpants or your kids eat chicken nuggets for the third dinner in a row. Realize the first step through all of this is just getting through it.
Communicate that this is a dynamic time.
“Vulnerability and transparency is critical as a leader.”
Ask for help and leniency in working with you through this period of unprecendented economic downturn. Opening up about uncertainty calibrates your team’s expectations. If your team does not know you are struggling, how will they begin brainstorming creative solutions?
To work against fear of the unknown, create an internal handbook that describes your company’s values and norms. Even in turbulent times, understanding of your mission and decorum will remain a steady North Star for employees.
Be intentional when meeting with others.
You may feel pressured to schedule calls to showcase you are hard at work (and definitely not watching Netflix on your couch). Yet, constantly being on the phone detracts from efficiency and sanity.
To solve this, Darren recommends only sending or accepting invites with an included agenda. Articulate which decisions require real-time input and save the rest for Slack. Be confident in saying no to unstructured video chats. Your time is valuable; just because you are home does not mean you need to be always “on.”
If you see your Google Calendar is filled to the brim with meetings, verify their purpose. Stand-ups may be haphazard band-aids for communication gaps elsewhere.
Synchronize your team with less.
“Minimize your tool stack and minimize your communication channels. ”
Define which type of communication, tone, and work is allowed on each channel. At GitLab, Slack is only used for informal speech. This is enforced through auto-deletion of messages after 90 days. Emojis are encouraged across the board — they are an easy way to detect emotion without meeting face-to-face!
Try out shared asynchronous tools, like Google Docs or Notion, with a documented history of how the text changes. These are an awesome way to trace thought processes instead of long email chains. Darren recommends moving internal communication away from email completely to avoid the reply-all nightmare.
Connect and encourage team fun while apart.
Conversations by the printer or shared post-work drinks allow leaders to neglect their role in fostering colleague relationships. While working from home, it’s even more important to be intentional in bringing everyone together.
“It’s easy to shift to the scarcity mindset in a situation like this but I encourage people to take the abundance mindset.”
Capitalize on the unique social bonding that does not take place in an office.
GitLab recently hosted a talent show for its marketing team of 135 people. Scheduled two weeks in advance (with an agenda attached, of course), this Zoom call showcased Gordon-Ramsay-like cooking skills unseen in any cubicle. Fellow Breakfast Club attendee Vishal Punwani, CEO at Sophya Ai, even bought his team Nintendo Switch games so they could play Mariokart beyond the 9–5.
If you want to start small, have an always-open Zoom video call be your “office lobby.” People can hop in and out, chat over their morning coffee, and jump back into work feeling energized from social interaction.
Also, don’t forget about colleagues who are on family care duty. GitLab hosts Juice Box Chats wherein team members add their kids, parents, and grandparents to the video chat.
Take this time to figure out if remote work is right for you.
Although this difficult time is a deviation for your normal work routine, reflect on its pros and cons. According to Darren, remote work is not meant for everyone. The future of work is an endless experimentation of balancing technology, productivity, and individual happiness. Think about which environments you thrive most in.
Looking ahead, the GSV team is excited to witness the future of work. We hope the above tips provide you guidance and comfort like they did for us.
Many thanks to Darren Murph for taking the time to speak with us!
GSV Breakfast Club is an ongoing series of off-the-record, casual conversations about the challenges of scaling start-ups. Over breakfast burritos and coffee, GSV Ventures facilitates intimate conversations between industry experts, leaders of high-growth companies, and members of the GSV portfolio.
