Slide 1

Slide 1 text

WORKING AT A VIRTUAL COMPANY Ralph Whitbeck BarCamp Rochester Spring 2012

Slide 2

Slide 2 text

WHAT IS A VIRTUAL COMPANY?

Slide 3

Slide 3 text

VIRTUAL COMPANY • 10/20 years ago working from home was called telecommuting.

Slide 4

Slide 4 text

VIRTUAL COMPANY • 10/20 years ago working from home was called telecommuting. • Now it’s called “Working Remotely”

Slide 5

Slide 5 text

VIRTUAL COMPANY • 10/20 years ago working from home was called telecommuting. • Now it’s called “Working Remotely” • A “Virtual team” is a team of remote workers

Slide 6

Slide 6 text

VIRTUAL COMPANY • 10/20 years ago working from home was called telecommuting. • Now it’s called “Working Remotely” • A “Virtual team” is a team of remote workers • A “Virtual Company” is a collection of “Virtual Teams”

Slide 7

Slide 7 text

No content

Slide 8

Slide 8 text

• FOUNDED IN 2009 • Founded by jQuery Team Members • Front-end Development (HTML5, JavaScript, jQuery) • Onsite & Remote Training

Slide 9

Slide 9 text

• I was hired in October 2011 • I was employee #10

Slide 10

Slide 10 text

• Today we are growing ➡ 22 people!

Slide 11

Slide 11 text

No content

Slide 12

Slide 12 text

• Our main office is in Evergreen, Co NO ONE W ORKS THERE!

Slide 13

Slide 13 text

CHALLENGES OF WORKING AT HOME

Slide 14

Slide 14 text

A REMOTE WORKER FEELS LEFT OUT • Scott Hanselman blogs about being disconnected all the time. • Scott works for Microsoft from his home in Portland, OR http://www.flickr.com/photos/webstock06/6773151728/

Slide 15

Slide 15 text

A REMOTE WORKER FEELS LEFT OUT • Persistent Video Portal Office mate • http://www.hanselman.com/blog/ VirtualCamaraderieAPersistentVideoPortalForTheRemote Worker.aspx

Slide 16

Slide 16 text

A REMOTE WORKER FEELS LEFT OUT • Embodied Social Proxy • http://www.hanselman.com/blog/ BuildingAnEmbodiedSocialProxyOrCrazyWebcamRemoteCa rtThing.aspx

Slide 17

Slide 17 text

IN A VIRTUAL COMPANY WE'RE ALL REMOTE SO NO ONE IS FEELING LEFT OUT.

Slide 18

Slide 18 text

COMMON PROBLEMS • Time management • IT Maintenance • Child care • Other Peoples Agenda • Time Zones • Distractions http://telecommutingjournal.com/7-common-work-at-home-challenges/347

Slide 19

Slide 19 text

SOLVES SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS

Slide 20

Slide 20 text

TIME MANAGEMENT • Responsibility for completion falls with Tech Leads • Tech Leads run their own team • Account Managers help Tech Leads focus on getting work done by dealing with client issues

Slide 21

Slide 21 text

CHILD CARE • Family First as a company policy • Kid friendly • Hearing kids on calls with each other is common and normal • Missing work to take care of children is encouraged as long as time is made up.

Slide 22

Slide 22 text

OTHER PEOPLES AGENDA • Flexible hours • Run errands • Help wife out • Pick up a friend in need

Slide 23

Slide 23 text

TIME ZONES • Work 9-5 in your time zone • We’re all in different time zones so no one feels out of place • Be mindful of all timezones when scheduling • Google Calendar does the heavy lifting for you.

Slide 24

Slide 24 text

SOLVE PROBLEMS ON YOUR OWN

Slide 25

Slide 25 text

SETUP A HOME OFFICE • Find an area that you can use exclusively for work • Separate your home life with work life • You want an area where you can shut the door

Slide 26

Slide 26 text

SETUP A HOME OFFICE • My office is in my bedroom • I use half of my room • All work on one side all play on the other • Can shut the door

Slide 27

Slide 27 text

ELIJAH MANOR’S CLOSET

Slide 28

Slide 28 text

ELIJAH MANOR’S CLOSET

Slide 29

Slide 29 text

ELIJAH MANOR’S CLOSET

Slide 30

Slide 30 text

ELIJAH MANOR’S CLOSET

Slide 31

Slide 31 text

CHALLENGES OF VIRTUAL TEAMS

Slide 32

Slide 32 text

CHALLENGES VIRTUAL TEAM • Advantages • Increased productivity • Extended Market Opportunity • Knowledge Transfer • Disadvantages • Communication deficiency • Poor leadership and Management • Incompetent Team Members

Slide 33

Slide 33 text

SOFTWARE

Slide 34

Slide 34 text

SOFTWARE

Slide 35

Slide 35 text

HARDWARE

Slide 36

Slide 36 text

HARDWARE • Virtual PBX from 2600Hz (VoIP) • Office phones with personal extensions that are connected to the internet and controlled remotely with a web interface.

Slide 37

Slide 37 text

HOW HAS WORKING VIRTUALLY AFFECTED ME?

Slide 38

Slide 38 text

THE GOOD PARTS • No commutes • Not spending money on eating out for lunch • Can be a part of my sons Rugby practices • Eating hot dinners • Work where ever Working Virtually The Good Parts

Slide 39

Slide 39 text

THE BAD • Winter Blues • I try to offset it with travel for work • jQuery UK (London) John Wards (pictured right, Conf Organizer) • Albuquerque, NM (Onsite training) • Hawaii (Vacation)

Slide 40

Slide 40 text

THANK YOU Questions?