Is distribution right for you?

Sieva KozinskyFounder at StudySoup

“A peer to peer learning marketplace”

@SievaKozinsky

• Who am I• Are distributed teams possible?• What is your objective• Setting expectations• The method that works wonders for us

Who am I

2x EntrepreneurUC Santa Barbara Graduate

Loves CampingLives in San Francisco

Yes, distributed teams are possible

Questions to ask yourself

Why would I hire elsewhere? Limitations? - Cost, talent…etc

Can I be more efficient while hiring here?

What type of job will we distribute or outsource?- Engineering, sales…

What are your expectations from your distributed team?- Project vs full-time

$100,000Average starting salary of an engineer in San Francisco

MOST Importantly

Expect Downsides

Possible Downsides

• Longer onboarding

• Language + cultural barriers

• Lower productivity

• Higher attrition (bad for culture)

Set the right expectationsCommunication• How often• What tools• With who? (who’s in charge)

Deliverables• When?• Issues?• Consequences

Be prepared to let go

Our little distributed secret

I love doing the dishes….

Your employees want to succeed…So help them!

Good habits are created through• Repetition• Clear Action• Reward

This is a Chore

Subject: Update

“Hey Hotch-

Have you talked to the sales team about our new blogging initiative? Give me an update when you get a chance. Thanks!Sieva”

Create a rewarding habit through daily check-ins

What did you accomplish yesterday?

What will you accomplish today?

Tools we use:- Dropbox- GoToMeeting- Slack- Trello- Project tracking

software- Notepad

(…seriously)

Is distribution right for you?

Sieva KozinskyFounder at StudySoup

“A peer to peer learning marketplace”

@SievaKozinsky