Chapter8: HowtoWorkFasterinaRemoteTeam 77 2. Rely on the Right Tools TheZapier team turns to Quip anytime it needs to document a process. WeloveappsatZapier.We’reconstantlyplayingaroundwiththem,integrating themintoourownplatform,andtryingthemoutinourworkflows. So as we moved email threads out of our inboxes, we needed to find an app for each convo. Slack absorbed most of the load, but not all. Progress updatesaroundoureditorialcalendarmovedintoTrello,ahighlycustomizable project managementtool. Step-by-step guides teaching fellow co-workers, for example,howtoinstigateadripcampaignmovedintoHackpad,acollaborative documentationtool,andthenintoQuipwhenHackpadshutdown.Andbefore werelied on our private internal blog for weekly updates, we used iDoneThis, anappthatmakesiteasytorecordthetasksyouaccomplished. When your remote team lands on the right tools, you can really get in the groove.ThatwasanexperiencesharedbyMatthewMakai,aremoteemployee on Twilio’s team, another company that’s split between co-located and dis- tributed employees. “MycolleagueRickyRobinettandIwrotethisblogpostonournewTaskRouter APItogetherwhilehewasinNYCandIwasinD.C.,”Makaisays,notingseveral other colleagues gave their input on the piece, too.
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