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)