Refactoring Podcast How Todoist is Built ✅ — with Gonçalo Silva
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Jan 23, 2026 
Gonçalo Silva, the CTO of Doist, leads a unique company with 100 remote employees across 40 countries, creating the beloved productivity tool Todoist. He shares insights on staying small and effective, contrasting bootstrapped constraints with the pressures of VC funding. The discussion dives into the origins of Doist's async-first culture, how they manage team dynamics, and balance strategy with user feedback. Gonçalo also explores the role of AI in enhancing productivity, emphasizing clarity and innovation within their teams.
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Use Meetings To Break Deadlocks
- Switch to synchronous calls when discussions need many iterations or you hit slow convergence.
- Use meetings to resolve disagreements quickly and avoid days of back-and-forth.
Replace Standups With Async Reports
- Replace ritualized standups with asynchronous written status reports in threads.
- Let people post when it fits their flow and let readers consume updates on their own schedule.
Function-Led Teams With Rotating Squads
- Functional teams produce deep expertise and taste by owning platforms or layers.
- Doist forms temporary cross-functional squads each quarter to execute projects and retain flexibility.