The Method

Sid Sijbrandij (CEO of GitLab) describes the best way to collaborate in a remote company

Jul 24, 2020

Sid Sijbrandij, the CEO and cofounder of GitLab, leads the world's largest all-remote company, thriving on remote collaboration. He discusses how digital tools like Google Docs revolutionize teamwork compared to traditional methods. Sid dives into balancing synchronous and asynchronous communication to navigate global time zones effectively. He emphasizes the significance of informal connections to enhance workplace morale and tackle the hurdles of hybrid models, ensuring fair integration for all team members.

10:05

Episode guests

Sid Sijbrandij

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Remote collaboration tools like Google Docs facilitate real-time contributions, enhancing productivity and streamlining the creative process among team members.

Hybrid work models risk employee engagement, as remote workers may miss vital communication opportunities, highlighting the need for inclusive leadership strategies.

Deep dives

The Advantages of Remote Collaboration Tools

Using remote collaboration tools like Google Docs can significantly enhance productivity compared to traditional methods such as physical whiteboards. In a Google Doc, multiple participants can contribute ideas simultaneously, eliminating bottlenecks caused by a single person leading the discussion. This real-time collaboration allows for more comprehensive input, where ideas can be timestamped and organized easily, streamlining the entire process. The ability to embed links, images, and additional resources also transforms the document into a versatile artifact, enabling better readability and easier sharing among team members.

Intro

3min

Balancing Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication in Remote Teams

2min

Navigating the Challenges of Remote and Hybrid Work

3min

Navigating Remote Work and Hybrid Challenges

3min

In this episode, GitLab's CEO Sid Sijbrandij breaks down why collaboration works better in an entirely remote format.

GitLab is a web-based DevOps life cycle tool that provides a Git-repository manager with wiki, issue-tracking, and continuous integration/continuous deployment pipeline features, using an open-source license, developed by GitLab Inc.

Sid Sijbrandij is the cofounder and CEO of GitLab, world’s largest all-remote company and the single application for the DevOps lifecycle. Nothing about Sid’s career path falls in the traditional category. When he saw the first Ruby code in 2007, He fell in love and he taught himself how to program. It was during his time as a Ruby programmer that he first encountered GitLab, and quickly discovered his passion for the open source programming world.

In 2012, he helped commercialize GitLab, and by 2015, he led the company through Y-Combinator’s Winter 2015 batch. Under his leadership, the company has experienced 50x growth in the last 5 years, expanded from nine to more than 1,300 remote team members across 65+ countries and regions. GitLab is now valued at $2.75 billion.

Mochary Method: https://www.mocharymethod.org/
GitLab: https://about.gitlab.com/
Clearbit: https://www.clearbit.com/

GitLab Informal Communication: https://about.gitlab.com/company/culture/all-remote/informal-communication/
GitLab Remote Handbook: https://about.gitlab.com/company/culture/all-remote/
Remote Handbook Intro Video: https://youtu.be/6ZJRCcSUROk

Follow GitLab: https://twitter.com/gitlab
Follow Sid: https://twitter.com/sytses
Follow Darren: https://twitter.com/darrenmurph
Follow Alex: https://twitter.com/maccaw

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