Every company is different, but here at Autotroph we work very hard to ensure that how we work not only yields great results but also that our methods lead satisfying work that we can all be proud of.
Remote tools we use
With the exception of the occasional meetup all of our work is done remotely. We use a variety of tools to manage collaboration, but the key few are these:
- Basecamp is our overall team and project management system. Basecamp is where major updates are posted, ongoing discussions shared, and goals are set. It is the de facto hub for all things Autotroph.
- Slack is our real-time chat system for day-to-day communication. Nothing in Slack is considered permanent, and thus nothing important should go in Slack. Anything that should be recorded goes to Basecamp. Also, many of our video / audio meetings are held using Slack.
- Github is where all code lives. It is the version control and issue tracking system for code projects, including web sites, Blender add-ons, and yes, even this handbook.
- Help Scout is our customer support tool, enabling us to use email and in-app messaging tools.
- Dropbox is our file-sharing and syncing service, for which we have a team account. All content production and design files are hosted through Dropbox, ensuring the entire team can access them at any time.
- Email While not used as frequently as above, it’s expected to check ideally once a day for edge case notifications and conversations.
Autonomously
A priority for all Autotroph employees, is a strong-sense of self-drive and ability to work autonomously. We don’t hire people managers, we hire team members. We’re not interested in any kind of micro-management.
We strive to enable everyone to work effectively, and happily, driven largely by their own initiative.
Asynchronously
Being spread across the world, in many different time-zones, all of our work is done asyncrounously. We don’t have specified office hours, even though the majority of the team overlaps by at least six hours.
We don’t have specified daily office hours, though in general, we work Monday through Thursday during the day.
With this in mind Basecamp is the default place for all discussions, pitches, and updates. In general responses to discussions happen within 48hrs, unless otherwise if the author has set a deadline for a response.