Y Combinator Startup Podcast #115 - Mike Knoop and Kevin Hale
Mar 6, 2019
Meet Mike Knoop, co-founder of Zapier, an automation powerhouse, and Kevin Hale, co-founder of Wufoo and a Visiting Partner at Y Combinator. They discuss the evolution of remote work, sharing insights on building effective remote teams and fostering creativity. Learn about Zapier's growth strategy, how to navigate challenges in communication without an office, and the importance of customer feedback. Plus, they dive into the significance of using OKRs to enhance collaboration and keep morale high in a remote setting.
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Startup Weekend Origins
- Zapier started as a Startup Weekend project, initially called API Mixer.
- The first integrations were PayPal, Highrise, and Twitter, chosen for a compelling demo use case.
First Remote Hire
- Zapier's first remote hire was driven by existing relationships and a need to scale customer support.
- This coincided with Mike Knoop's partial remote work situation, making it a natural experiment.
Social Networks for Remote Workers
- For remote work success, find a social network outside of work.
- Relying on work for social connection is unhealthy, especially in distributed companies.