NothingcouldhaveprovenPlato’squote
NecessityistheMotherofInvention(our need will be the real creator)moreaccurate thanremoteworking.Althoughdigitaldisruptions havebeenhappeningforafewdecades,noonewould haveimaginedthetransparencyandefficiency technologybroughttoremoteworking.
TheCOVID-19pandemicredefinedtheconceptof normalworkingformanybusinesses.Workfrom homebecamethenewnormal,anddespitemany officesbouncingbacktotheoldnormalcy,ahybrid workingmodelwillpersist.
Thoughworkfromhomeisnotanewconcept,the ongoingpandemicforcedmanytopracticeitrather thanoptforit.Theywerethrownofftheirinertia beforeonecouldblinkaneye,andremoteworking becamethenewnormal.Aftertheteethingproblems andovercomingtheresistancetochange,businesses realizedthatremoteworkingwasthebestwayto work,andemployeesbeganenjoyingtheir‘new workplace.’
Butmanagingworkorofficeremotelyhasits challenges.Duringtheinitialdaysofremoteworking, businesseswereworriedabouttimelyworkandoutput whileemployeesendedupworkinglonghours.The
majorhurdleswerecommunication,interactionwith teammates,visibility,etc.Hereiswhereremoteworking softwarecametotherescue.Properremoteworking softwaresavestimeandincreasesproductivitywhile eliminatingwork-relatedfearsofemployersandmanagers.
Automation,artificialintelligence,timetracking,team managementsoftware/Apps,Googledrive,real-time communicationtools,trackingto-dos,financialmonitoring, cloud,collaborationhubs,videoconferencingsolutions, andmanymoretoolsaretodayusedtomanagebusinesses.
Theoffice-to-hometransitionsawashiftincomfortzones. Earlier,theareaswereclearlydemarcated–workinthe officeandpersonallifeathome,whichwereourcomfort zonesfortherespectiveactivities.Butasthingsstartedto getstreamlined,peoplebegantoseethesilverliningand enjoythenewworkworld.
Thoughofficesarebeingreopened,thehybridmodel continuesandwillcontinueforalongperiod. Aswe oscillatebetweencomfortzones,remoteworksoftware solutionprovidersarebusywithinnovationstogivethe besttoolstobusinessesandmakeremoteworking smoother
Adaptingtothetsunamiofchangeswasdifficult.Butnow thatthemetamorphosishashappenedandeveryoneis comfortableintheskintheyhadtowear,remotework softwaresolutionprovidersaretheonestohogthe limelight,andrightlyso.
InourlatesteditionofInsightsSuccess, Most Innovative Remote Work Software Solution Providers,wehave featuredsomeinnovativeremoteworksoftwaresolution providers.Withouttheircontributions,thenewnormal wouldhavecontinuedtobedaunting.Theyhaveprovided uswiththebestsoftwareforsharedonlineworkspaces.
Theymademonumentalbusinessmanagementand developmenttasksappeareasierthanonecouldimagine. Technologicaldevelopmentshavealwayseasedthe functionsofbusinessesandemployees,butremotework softwaresolutionprovidershaveshedawaymythsandfears ofdistanceworking.
EvenasthesesolutionproviderscontinuetoprovePlato’s quotetrue,letusunearththeirjourneyuntilnowthrough thisedition.
Haveanenlighteningread!
Sumita Sarkar
Empowering Businesses to Improve Remote Teamwork
28
18
The Increasing Importance of Remote Working Culture Things to Take Care of While Hiring in a Remote Work Setting HOME = OFFICE #CONNECTED
Editor-in-Chief Sumita Sarkar
Anish Miller Senior Editor
Managing Editor
Assisting
Art & Design Head
Art & Design Assistant
Abhishaj Sajeev
Visualiser David King Co-designer
Art & Picture Editor Priyanka Rajage
Mrunalinee Deshmukh
Paul
Sherin Rodricks Business Development Manager
Marketing Manager Joseph D'souza
Business Development Executives
Kelly, David
Technical Head Jacob Smile
Assistant Technical Head
Technical Consultants Pratiksha, Aditya, David
Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege
Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Amol Wadekar
SME-SMO Executives Gemson, Renuka
Research Analyst Eric Smith
Circulation Manager Tanaji
sales@insightssuccess.com
July, 2021
Featuring Brief CompanyName 10up 10up.com
FunctionFox functionfox.com
InVision invisionapp.com
Kintone kintone.com
ProofHub proofhub.com
TogglTrack toggl.com
Toptal toptal.com
Ulatus ulatus.com X-Team x-team.com
JakeGoldman Founder
Corina
Ext President
ClarkValberg CEO,Co-founder
DaveLanda,
CEO SandeepKashyap Founder
AlariAho CEO
TasoDuVal
CEO
ShilpaMittal
CEO
RyanChartrand
CEO
10upmakestheinternetbetterwithconsultativecreativeand engineeringservices,innovativetools,anddependableproducts thattakethepainoutofcontentcreationandmanagement,in serviceofdigitalexperiencesthatadvancebusinessandmarketing objectives.
FunctionFoxisanonlinetoolfortrackingtimeandexpenses, keepingtoestimate,andmanagingclientsandprojects. FunctionFoxstreamlinestheprocesswithalltherighttools, allowingyourcreativeteamtofocusontheworkandstay creative.
InVisionisthevisualcollaborationplatformpoweringthe world’ssmartestcompanies.Thecompanyexiststomakeevery kindofworkmorecollaborative,inclusive,andimpactful.
Kintoneisagloballeaderintheno-codecustomsoftware revolution.RecognizedinForrester’sWaveandGartner’s MagicQuadrantasaleaderinthespace,Kintoneismaking teamworkbetterwiththebestsoftwareandmethodsfor improvingteamwork.
ProofHubisasaas-basedprojectmanagementsoftwarethatfits perfectlyineveryworkculture.Itsolvesthefourmajor challengesthateveryteamfacesintheirprojects-Planning, Collaboration,Organization,andDeliveringthemontime.
TogglTrackisaleadingonlinetimetrackingtool,whichis extremelypopularamongfreelancers,consultants,andsmall companies.Itallowsuserstotrackthetimespentonvarious projectsandanalyzeproductivity.
Toptalisanetworkoftheworld'stoptalentinbusiness,design, andtechnologythatenablescompaniestoscaletheirteams,on demand.With$200+millioninannualrevenueandover40% year-over-yeargrowth,Toptalisthelargestfullydistributed workforceintheworld.
Ulatus,aCrimsonInteractiveCo.,offers'publish-ready' translation/localizationqualityandcustomizablesolutionsthatusethe verybestadvancementsinthemarketplacetosolidifyitsclients’ continuousbusinessgrowththroughtheconversionoftheirbranded communicationsanddistinguishedbybeingGlobalinSpirit,Localat Heart®.
X-Teamhasprovidedhigh-performing,on-demandteamsof softwaredevelopersfortheworld'sleadingbrandssince2006.
Zyte zyte.com
ShaneEvans CEO
Zyteisagame-changerinwebdataextraction,obsessedwith removingbarrierssothatitscustomerscanaccessvaluable data.Quicklyandeasily,wheneverandhowevertheyneedit.
Dave Landa | CEO
Empowering Businesses to Improve Remote Teamwork ForKintoneusers,working remotelyissuspiciouslyeasy.
Thepowerfulworkplace platformoffersteamsa360-degree visionofeverythingtheyneedtostay up-to-dateatwork:data,conversations, statusreports.Andtheycanseeitfrom anyinternetconnecteddevice.
Butwhatsetsthisplatformapartisn’t justitsfeatures--it’sthecultureinfused aroundit.
“Kintoneisasmuchasaphilosophyas itisaproduct,”saysDaveLanda, CEOofKintoneCorporation KintoneCorporationistheU.S.branch ofCybozu,aJapan-basedgroupware companythatsetrecordswhenit launched.
Foundedbythreeformer-Panasonic softwareengineersin1997,Cybozu wentontobecomethefastestcompany togopublicontheTokyoStock Exchange–onlythreeyearsafterits debut.Kintoneisnowusedby19,000+ organizationsworldwide,andthe businessgrowsanaverageof50%a year
“Oftentimes,peoplewantsoftwareto solvetheirproblems.Tomakethings likeremoteworkeasier,”saysDave. “Theythink,‘if only I could see reports from my phone, or access that document that’s in someone else’s email.’Theyhopenewfeaturesor editionswillfixthestrugglestheyface aroundtheirjob.Buthavingaccessto reportsonyourphoneisn’tafix-all solutionifyou’vegotyoungchildren athomewhoneedconstanthelp loggingintotheirZoomclasses.Being abletoaccessthatspreadsheetin someoneelse’semailwon’tfeellike muchifyou’vejustbeentoldyour companyexpectsyoubackintheoffice afteryou’veboughtahouseoutsidethe commutingzone.”
ForDave,havingtherighttoolsisjust thefirststep.It’sthepoliciesaround themthatmakeorbreaktheirultimate value.
“Lastyear,wehadasalesmember namedLisareachouttous.She’sa momwithayoungkidwhoneedsalot ofhelploggingintoclassesandstaying focusedthroughouttheday.Shefelt shecouldn’tbethemomherson neededandworkwithinthenormal nine-to-fivetimeframe.So,shecameto usandhadaconversation...Sheended upswitchingherhourssoshewould workmornings—beforehersonstarted hisclasses—taketheafternoonoffto focusonhim,andthenjumpbackon intheeveningstofinishupwhatwas left.Lisawroteanopennoteon Kintoneexplainingherdecisionand situationtotheentirerestoftheteam. Thatnotedidtwothings:ithelpedher teamunderstandhersituationand supporther,butitalsohelpedestablish anopenlinewithotherparentsonour teamwhowerestrugglingwiththe samething.”
Ratherthanturningadifficultsituation intoapointofshameorlackof commitmenttothecompany,itbecame anopportunitytoexplorewhoelseon theteamwasstrugglingandwhat adjustmentscouldbemadeforthem. Kintone’sculturelaidthegroundwork tospeakup.Thentheproductcamein tohelpothersraisetheirvoice.For Kintoneusers,theplatformhelpsfoster andencouragemanyofthecompany’s corephilosophies,including transparencyandaccountability.
“Kintoneisadatabase.Butit’salsoa collaborationhub;ratherthanwriting isolatedemailsbackandforthto internalmembersoftheteam,youcan pushthoseconversationsthrough Kintoneitself,”saysDave.
Theresultisfascinating.Datarecords storeconversationsbetweenteam membersrightalongsidethedatabeing discussed–evenaftertheconversation isover AreascalledSpacesallow teamstocreatedepartmentorteamcentricareaswheretheycanchatand talkaboutthespecificsoftheirwork. CustomersuccesshasitsownSpace, asdoesmarketingandsales.And withineachofthesespacesarethreads
areconversationtopicssortedby subject.
That’swhereLisa’smessagetothe teamwasposted.
Atatypicalbusiness,hermessage mighthaveneverlefttheconference room.Orifitwereannounced,itmight havebeendonethroughHRand accompaniedbyapolitelyworded emailfromLisatoonlyherclosest colleagues.
ButonKintoneitwasvisibleto everyoneinthecompany.“Just becauseitlivesintheSalesSpace doesn’tmeanonlysalescanseeit. Anyonecangooverandlookandread andbenefitfromit,”saysDave.“The Kintoneplatformgaveheravoice,and inturnitgivesothersinthecompanya chancetospeakforthemselvesas well.”
ForDave,thisiswhatKintoneistruly about:creatinganultra-transparent workplacewherepeoplefeeltruly comfortabletoraiseanddiscussthe issuesfacingthem--bothathomeand inwork.“Ifsomeoneinsaleswantsto
learnaboutthemarketinginitiatives launchingthismonth,orifthe marketingteamwantsabetter understandingofwhatcurrentclients aresayingtothecustomersuccess team,theinformationisthere–accessibletoall.”
Thisalllendsitselftothisemerging semi-permanentremoteworkworld businessesaredealingwith.Rightnow, “manycompaniesarestrugglingto figureouthowtoletpeoplestay remotewithoutriskingcompany culture,”saysDave.Whathefeelsthey don’trealizeisthattheycanbuildand growastrongcompanycultureeven whennooneisinthesameroom,if they’vegottherightsetup.“Yourteam needstoolsthatallowthemaccessto theinformationandconversationsthey usedtobeabletogetbywalking acrosstosomeoneelse’sdesk.”No moreconversationssiloedawayin email.Nomorespreadsheetstrapped onsomeone’sdesktop–andthey’re notrespondingonSlack.
Centralizationandaccessibilityare critical.
ButtoDave,therighttoolsdon’tjust helpyourteamgettheirworkdone moreeffectively Theyhelpfosterthe underlyingvaluesofyourcultureeven whenyourculturecommitteeorHR teamisn’taround.
“Whenthelockdownsoccurredin Marchoflastyear,weliketosaywe wentremotein24hourswithouta hitch,”helaughs.“That’sbecausewe did.Ateamof50peopleinSan FranciscoandaroundtheU.S.went completelyremoteinlessthanaday withnomajorhiccups,minus collectingtheofficemail.Andwhile certainpartsofourculturehave changed,suchasnomorein-person happyhours–otherpartshavethrived. Wehaven’tlostanything.”
Most Innova ve Remote Work So ware Solu on Providers A Leading Software Choice for Creative Professionals Itisprovensciencethatmostcreativeprofessionals operatewitharight-brainedstyleofworking.What theyneedtoworkefficientlyisacreativespacethat willenablethemtodowhattheydothebest:create. Sometimesthefactorthatactsasahurdleintheircreative processisthemanagementoftheirbusiness.
Thingslikedeadlinesandduedatescanbehardtokeepa trackoffortheseprofessionalsandfeellikeahassle oftentimes.Toassistcreativeprofessionalsandfirmsin keepingtrackofalloftheirtimelinesandproject managementconcernsFunctionFoxcameintoexistence.
InanexclusiveinterviewwithInsightsSuccess,Corina Ludwig,thePresidentofFunctionFoxtalksindetailabout theofferingsofthecompanythathelpsfirmsstreamline, optimize,andmanageteamresourcesinacentrallocation.
Followingarethehighlightsoftheinterview:
Enlightenuswiththejourneyofyourcompanysofar.
FunctionFoxwascreatedfromaneedtohaveabettertool tomanageanadvertisingagency Therewerenogoodtools available,sowecreatedsomethingthatquicklyprovedto streamlineourbusiness,improveefficiencies,and contributetoincreasingprofitability Wedecidedourtool couldbeofvaluetoallcreativeteams,sowebuiltthe softwareasaservicebusinessbackin2000.
Kindlytalkabouttheexclusiveproductsorservices offeredbyyourcompany.
FunctionFoxofferstimeandprojectmanagementsoftware designedforcreativeteams.WeofferClassic,whichis focusedontimeandexpensetrackingandreporting; Premier,whichaddsinProjectManagementfunctionality andfeatures;andIn-House,whichwasdesigned
Our vision is to be the leading time and project tracking software for creative teams in the world. specificallyforIn-Housecreativeteamstoassistwith projectintakeandprojectmanagement.Wealsoofferafree product,idealforasmallteam.
Whatisthevisionandmissionofthecompany? Ourvisionistobetheleadingtimeandprojecttracking softwareforcreativeteamsintheworld.Ourmissionisto helpcreativeteamssucceedandimprovetheirbusiness.
Whatkindofchallengeshasthecompanyanditsteam facedindustry-wise?
IntheEarlydays,wefacedlotsofhurdles–lackofhighspeedinternet,lackofunderstandingabouthowwecould safelyhostmission-criticaldata.Wewerealsochallenged todevelopasalessystemthatwecouldmeasureandtrack thatwaseffectiveandefficient.
Morerecently,ourchallengeshavebeentoremainfocused onournichewhenweseeotheropportunitiesforthingswe could do.Currently,theindustryhasmany,manyplayers, andourchallengeisvisibilityinaseaofcompetitorsthat haveraisedhundredsofmillionsandspentitonmarketing.
Corina Ludwig President
AbouttheLeaders Corina Ludwig - Corina Ludwig is an accomplished Senior Executive, Advisor, and Board Member with more than 30 years of success in Business Tech and advertising. For the past 21 years, she’s led FunctionFox –a global leader in time-tracking and project management. She also sits on the board for Women in Science and Tech and the Innovation, Advanced Technology, and Entrepreneurship Council.
Mary-Lynn Bellamy - FunctionFox founder Mary-Lynn Bellamy-Willms had started her advertising agency with her husband from their home back in 1988, so working from home was a simple concept to embrace. Through the growth of their agency, they built a building and moved in, and ‘gave birth’ to FunctionFox.
Even from 2001, FunctionFox had a key management team member working from home, while the rest of the team worked from a centralized office.
Through the years up to ‘COVID’ time, FunctionFox had many team members (25%) working from home full-time and/or part-time from home. In March 2020, we were quickly able to shift, and the company has been operating 100% remotely since
Howhavetechnologicaladvancementsandinnovation intheindustryimpacted/enhancedthebusinessofthe
Continuousimprovementinspeedandtechnologyincreases thevaluewebringtoourclients.Dataondemandhelpsour customersseetheirbusinessonbothamacroandmicro levelandenablesthemtofine-tuneandbecomemore effectiveandprofitable.
Whatareyourstrategicallydrivenplansto beimplementedinordertoscalethe businessintheupcomingyear?
earecompletingafullback-endupgrade, lookingatsomeexcitingintegration opportunities,andrefreshingourbrandand marketingprograms.
Whatdoesthefuturelooklikeforthe companyintermsofgrowthand expansion?
FunctionFoxhasaspectacularfuture. Morecompaniesworkingfromhome, morecompaniesneedingtobetter managetheirworkalladdupto opportunityforFunctionFox,andour deepexpertiseinthecreativecommunity putusatanadvantageforanycreative businesswantingtouptheirgame.
THINGS to of TAKE CARE While in HIRING a REMOTE WORK Setting BeforetheCOVID-19pandemic,peoplehada dystopianPOVabouttheirdesiredjobconditions–howtheofficeshouldbeneartheirhomes,how thereshouldbenolongertravelinginboringtraffic,noboss hoveringaroundthetable,andthefreedomfromtimeboundedlife;simplysitathome,completeyourwork,and getpaidaccordingly.Butwhowouldhavethoughtthatthis dreamwouldbecomeareality?Theepidemicchangedall thetraditionalwaysofworkingandforcedtheworldto lookafternewwaysofworking.
Duetotheimposedlockdownsandlaterappliednormsof socialdistancing,thetraditionalapproachofoffline workingshiftedtowardsonlineworking,whichgaveriseto thenewnormal–workfromhome.Variousstudiesshow thatremoteworkersaremoreproductivethanoffice workers,whichprovidesanadvantageofincreasedworking efficiency
However,despitealltheadvantages,itischallengingfor managementandhiringauthoritiestohirenewemployees
forremotework.Insomeinstances,employeeswhoare veryefficientwithworkingintheofficefinditdifficultto managetheremoteworkingmoduleandlowertheirgraph. Thisprovesthateveryoneisnotmoldedforremote working.So,beforehiringanemployee,itisessentialto considersomekeypointstoavoidfailures.Whatarethey? Let'ssee:
TheOutreachoftheCompany Thefirstandforemostthingisthecompany'soutreachand itsbrand.Manypeoplewillthinkitisquiteunrelatedto hiringremoteworkers,butitisimportanttohaveabetter reachbecauseinmanycases,ithasbeenseenthat companiesmissoutonhiringbetterpeoplethantheycan getwiththeextrareach.Forcompanies,recruitingpeople forremoteteamsisoftenmoredifficultthantheyanticipate.
Itcanbedifficulttogetthewordoutaboutthecompany andthepositionsifacompanydoesn'thaveworldwide connectionsorisasmallbrand,andlocaltiescanbe difficulttocomeby.Hence,makinguseofeveryavailable channeltospreadthenewsandkeeptrackofwherethebest prospectscomefromisessentialforcompanies.Thereare manythingsthathelpspreadafirm'sreachforrecruitment, suchasadvertisement,socialmediaposts,business platformssuchasLinkedIn,andmanymore.Making effectiveuseofreachcanprovidegreatassistance.
Value-addedRecruitmentProcess Theterm'value-addedrecruitmentprocess'referstoa strategythatstrivestoguaranteethatrecruitershirethe rightpeoplewiththecorrectskillsandbeliefs.Itisa strategythatprioritizescertainbeliefsandvaluesinorderto recruitskilledworkers.Companiesdevelopsomeessential ideastoformacompetentteamwiththecorrectpeopleand talent.
Valuesaretheguidingprinciplesthatsignificantlyimpacta person'sconduct,judgments,and,mostimportantly,ability tomakedecisions.Insimplewords,concentratingoncore valuesduringtherecruitmentprocessisquitebeneficial whenitcomestoselectingtheappropriateindividual.Ifan
employee'sthoughtprocessissimilartothatofacompany, itbecomeseasytoworkforhim.
SelectionofStrongestCandidates Possiblyineachroundoftheselectioncriteria,weaker candidatesalmostgeteliminatedintheprocess.Butit doesn'tmeanthattheselectedcandidatesareappropriatefor thejob.Especiallyinremoteinterviews,itistoughto predictifthecandidateisspeakingthetruthornot.Inmany cases,candidatesshowfalseexperience,whichishardto cross-check.Hence,companiesgetfooledbysuch candidatesandendupwithalossofmoneyaswellas precioustime.
Somecandidateswhogetshortlistedarenotreally experienced,buttheyarestillselectedforfurther procedures.Thishappensonlyiftheyarereallytalentedor ifthecompanybelievesthattheyaretalented.Theformer caseisgoodforthecompany,whilethelattercausesaloss oftimeandmoney.Thishappensbecausesomepeople don'thavecoreknowledgeofthework,buttheymayhave practicedtheinterviews,andaccordingly,theyportraytheir candidaturesashavingacoreknowledgeaboutthework. Hence,thesenuancesmustbeconsideredwhileselectinga candidate.
FinalThoughts Hiringtherightcandidateisthekeyforanysuccessful company,anditisachallengingtaskconsideringthe consequencesofremoteworking.Managingaremote workingteamrequiresahighleveloftrustandworthyteam memberstogettheworkdone.Remoteworkingbrings manyadvantages,butitalsoputssomebarriersincoordination.Counteringthesebarriersneedsagreatteam thatcansolvetheseproblems,andhiringtherightpeopleis thefoundationofanysuccessfulvirtualteam.
-VinayakGhorpade
ProofHub A Progressive All-inclusive Software Solution Provider Everybusinessownerwishesto boosttheirproductivity.Profits riseandwastefallswhena businessrunsefficiently,resultingina healthybottomline.Whenitcomesto managingmultipletasksallatonce,it oftenconsumesalotoftimeand energy.Businessorganizationshavea lotofactivitiestomanage,like projects,files,andteams,whichcan seemlikeanarduoustasksometimes. Everyentitymustmanageallthe activitiessuccessfullyforaseamless performance.
Withadvancedtechnologyand managementservices,therearecertain softwaresthatcanperformtimeconsumingtasksinamatterof seconds.Onesuchcompanythatis providingthesecutting-edgesoftware solutionsisProofHub,basedoutof Walnut,California;itisanall-in-one simplifiedprojectplanningsoftware formanagingactivitiescarriedoutin anorganization.
InanexclusiveinterviewwithInsights Success,SandeepKashyap,the FounderofProofHub,elaboratesmore onthedistinctsoftwareservicesthat thecompanyprovidestoitsclients.
Belowarethehighlightsofthe interview
Enlightenuswiththejourneyof ProofHubsofar.
Thestoryofourcompanyhasbeena simpleone.Ibuiltasoftwareplatform fromscratch,andsincethen,allwe’ve doneisimprovetheproductand marketittothebestofourabilities. ThejourneystartedwhenIcreated ProofHubtoendthemismanagement offiles,projects,and,most importantly,teams.And,Iknowithad potentialsinceearlyon,wegotaflush ofnotablecustomerswhowantedto useourplatformtosimplifytheirtasks andstreamlinetheworkprocesses.
Afterthat,Iaimedtofindagroupof like-mindedpeoplewhosharedthis biggervisionwithmeandwereready tocreatesomethingthatwouldaid peoplewithprojectmanagementand
teamcollaborationasawhole.Asa close-knitteam,weworkhardto understandthehighlycompetitive natureofthemarket,andofcourse,the needsofourcustomers.Webelieve thatthecustomeristhebossofus,and whattheyneed,weprovide.
So,allinall,wehavefourthingsgoing onforus-(1)extensivecustomer service,(2)improvingthelookand feeloftheproduct,(3)addingmore andmorebellsandwhistlestothe feature-setofProofHub,(4)makingit easierforourpotentialcustomersto findusandsignupforourproduct throughsuccessfulmarketingaswell asbrandingefforts.
Kindlytalkabouttheexclusive productsorservicesofferedby ProofHub.
In the new normal, that is the era of remote work; we believe tools like ProofHub have become and continue to become the basic necessity for teams to effectively collaborate, track work assignments, communicate, and more. Sandeep Kashyap Founder
About the Leader Sandeep Kashyap, Founder of ProofHub
Project management tools have always been a sort of a helping hand to teams of all sizes and of any industry. However, when the era of remote work took over, tools like ProofHub went from being a helpful suggestion to an absolute necessity
Teams needed a place where they could come together to collaborate and work together more efficiently and effectively, and with tools like ours, they can have exactly that. ProofHub helps teams centralize all project-related information (with Kanban boards, notes, and Gantt charts) and coordinate with each other (using discussions and chats).
As a remote work software solution, ProofHub is providing the world with a secure platform where distributed teams can come together to plan, schedule, store, and execute projects without any hassle.
ProofHubisanall-in-onetoolthat helpsteamsreplace6-7toolsthey wouldbeusingbeforethisone.Some thingsthatmakeProofHuboneofa kindwithinitskindare:
In-housefeatures:Eventhough ProofHubcomeswithaplethoraof integrationsthatsitseamlesslyinside theapplication,itcomeswithseveral in-builtfeaturesthateliminatetheneed forothersoftwareprograms.
Easeofuse:ProofHubisaneasily scalabletool,itiseasytouse,and overall,itjustmakeseverythingeveryinformation,task,andteammate moreaccessible.Notonlydoesitallow easeofusetotheusers,butitalso givesthemaplatformwhereitiseasy fortheteamtoonboardnewmembers andkeepinformationonthefrontand center
FlatPricing:Anotherthingthatsetsus apartinthemarketisthatweoffera flat-pricingmodeltoourcustomers wherethereisnoin-apppricingand alsonoper-usercharge.
Whatisthevisionandmissionof ProofHub?
Bothourvisionandourmissionare andalwayshavebeentohelppeople achievethehighestratesofefficiency withalltheinnovativefeaturesthatwe canprovidetothem.Ourorganization hasthevisiontoimprovethequalityof workandtheproductivityofthe workforcebyprovidingasolutionthat canhelpthemcarrytheworkload for them.Therefore,weworkonthe customersatisfactionpartofthejob effectively
Whatkindofchallengeshas ProofHub,anditsteamfaced industry-wise?
Themarketforprojectmanagement, collaboration,andcommunication toolsisarelativelytoughoneto breach.Itisundoubtedlyahighly competitivemarketthatishardto navigateattimes.
Therearetwoongoingchallengesthat Iwouldliketotalkabout.Thefirstone isthecompetition.Wealwayshad competition,buttheeraofremote workhaspushedsometoolstojump thisbandwagonoffacilitating efficiencywithremotework.Noweven thoughthesesoftwareplatformshave nottakenusoutoftherace,they have muddiedthewaterforthebigplayers likeuswhoaretryingtomakeastance inthemarket.
Anotherchallengethathasbeen cominginourwayisonewhereweare tryingtokeepupwiththeinnovation stepsbeingtakenupbyour competitorsandbalancingallofthat withalltherequirementsthatourusers andpotentialcustomershave.
Whileourcompetitorsfindwaystoadd morebellsandwhistlestotheir products,usersaresimplysearching forasolutiontohelpthemmanage theirworkloadandcollaboratewith theirteamsinreal-timeinthis particularlytaxingeraofremotework.
Howhavetechnological advancementsandinnovationinthe industryimpacted/enhancedthe businessofProofHub?
Aswesteadilymovedtoaneraof remotework,ourneedschanged,our requirements,habits,andactivities changed,therewasaneedforarobust solutionthatcouldhelpholdthings together.Sinceourproductandour team,ingeneral,havealwaysoffered thebest,mostusefulcollaborative featurestoourcustomersoverthe
years,timeandtechnologyhaveonly enhancedandimprovedoursalesand marketprospects.
Astimemoveson,peopleexpecttosee claritywiththeUX,fasterfunctioning, andheightenedlevelsofsoftware performance.Allofthisimpactusin thewaythatwehavetokeepworking onthedemandsofthemassesandcater totheneedsandrequirementsofthe public.
Therefore,overtheyears,wehave workedonupdatingourtech, enhancingtheuserexperience,and increasingthesecuritymeasuresso thatpeoplecanfindourproductas reliableasitisuseful.
Whatareyourstrategicallydriven planstobeimplementedtoscalethe businessintheupcomingyear?
Intheupcomingyear,wearelooking toimproveourproductperformance. Wearelookingtoaddfeaturesetsthat helpuscatertoenterpriseteamsin particular Wearecomingupwitha cleanerinterfaceandaholisticrangeof featuresfordistributedteamswith distributedneeds.
Whatdoesthefuturelooklikefor ProofHubintermsofgrowthand expansion?
Inthenewnormal,thatistheeraof remotework;webelievetoolslike ProofHubhavebecomeandcontinue tobecomethebasicnecessityforteams toeffectivelycollaborate,trackwork assignments,communicate,andmore.
Hence,intermsofgrowthand expansion,wearelookingtopenetrate acrossmoreandmoreindustriesand takeadvantageofalltheopenspaceof opportunitiesthispandemichasleftin themarket.
Language shapes the way we
think and determines what we can think about.” American LinguisticandFirePrevention EngineerBenjaminLeeWhorf correctlyhighlightedtheimportanceof languagelearningineducation.
Anditstandstrueforbusinessesas well.Today,thedigitalrevolutionand socialmediahaveblurredgeographical boundaries.However,lackofquality andtrustedtranslationservicesinthe markethavebeenlimitingcompanies tocommunicatewiththeiraudience limitingtheirsuccessintheglobal market.
Ulatuswasfoundedtoprovidequality translationservicesconsideringthis marketgap.Sinceitsinception,the companyhasbeenworkingona missiontolesseninglanguagebarriers foracademicandcorporatepurposes byhiringexperttranslatorsinseveral countries.
“We firmly believe that language should not be a barrier for businesses aiming to capture local markets to expand their geographical presence,” saysShilpaSanghaiMittal,theCEO ofUlatus.Withthisguidingphilosophy andvisionaryleadership,Ulatushas beenempoweringcompaniesto communicatewiththeiraudiencesin globalmarketsintheirnativelanguage.
Andnowworkingonitsmotto ‘LocalizetoGlobalize’Ulatusstrives togobeyondlanguagetranslationto supportbrandstobuildastronglocal presence.
Readthefollowinginterviewtoknow howUlatuswasestablished,howthe company’sservicesaremaking differenceforitsclients,andits technologicalapproachtothriveinthe future.
Enlightenuswiththejourneyof Ulatussofar.
IstartedUlatuswhenIwas27years oldafterInoticedthattherewasalack oftranslationservicesforacademic purposes.Westartedbyhiring translatorsfromJapanandbridgingthe gapbetweenclientsandtranslators. Afterthismodelprovedtobea success,weexpandedintoseveral othercountriesanddiversifiedour offeringsinthetranslationindustry. Today,Ulatusispresentinover125 countriesandprovidestranslationsto mostofthesecountries.Wehavea teamofaround100peopleinMumbai, 15peopleintheJapanoffice,4inthe USoffice,6intheKoreaoffice,and6 inChina.Apartfromthis,wehave over2,000translatorswhoworkforus remotelyfromacrosstheglobe.
Sharewiththeexclusiveproductsor servicesUlatusoffers.
Ulatusprimarilyoffers50+language translationsolutionstoacademic researchersandauthorstogettheir researchpublishedininternational peer-reviewedjournals.Wealsohelp corporatefirmsappealtodifferent globalaudiencesinthelanguagesthey understand.Thecompanyoffers Chinese,Indic,Korean,Japanese, Spanish, and Portugueselanguage servicesamongstotherlanguages. Additionally,wealsodeliversolutions
likeinterpretation, book translation, pharmaceutical and medical localization, website, game, app, and finance localization amongstothers. Underourlifesciencelocalization offerings,weofferservicessuchas regulatorysubmissiontranslation, linguisticvalidationforpharmaceutical companies,medicaldevicetranslation, andworkwithwell-knownbiotech companiesaswellasCROsfortheir requirements.
Whatkindofchallengesthe companyanditsteamfacedwhen enteringthenicheindustry?
Thetranslationindustryishugeandto evenberecognizedasabrandhere requiresimmenseeffort.Witha$47 billion+industry,thereisloadsof competitionhere.So,enteringand survivingthiscompetitionrequiresone tobedifferentandspecialized,and henceourstartwastobeexpertsat providinglanguagesolutionsinAsian languagesspecifically.
Anotherchallengeisthatthisindustry iscontinuouslyevolvingfromone languageandservicetoanother (translation,localization,technological solutions,etc.).Technologyisgetting betterdaybyday Thus,wealsoneed tokeepevolvinginwhatweofferto clients.Thisrequiresconstantmarket intelligenceandinnovation.Buildinga teamcompetenttohandlevariedand uniqueclientrequestsisachallengewe acceptedandsuccessfullyachieved earlyinthebusiness.Thesuccessof Ulatustodayshouldbeattributedtoits hardworkingandintelligentteam.
Howhavetechnologicaladvancementsand innovationintheindustryimpacted/enhancedthe businessofthecompany?
Likemostotherindustries,technologyplaysalarge partintranslationaswell.Asautomatedtranslation slowlycomestotheforefront,wehavehadtoalso adapttoensurethatclientsgetwhattheyarelooking for.Inrecenttimes,automatedtranslationhasbecome popularandisbeingusedformanyreasonswhich havemadeitmoreimportant.
Wehaveusedouryearsofexperienceandsuperefficientlinguiststomakeourownproprietary AI-basedmachinetranslationwiththehighestquality andvalueavailableinthemarkettoday.Wehavealso usedtechnologytospeedupourprocesses,shorten turnaroundtimes,andimprovetheaccuracyofhuman translation.
Whatareyourstrategicallydrivenplanstobe implementedtoscalethebusinessintheupcoming year?
Thisyearwewanttofocusonupcomingmarkets relatedtocybersecurity,interpretation,game localization,ande-learning.Consideringhowthe worldhasevolvedtobemoreonline,wefeelthatthese marketshaveimprovedinpotentialandcanbean opportunityforgrowth.
Ourfocus,however,hasalwaysbeenclient satisfactionandtop-notchqualityofservice.Wehave alwaystreatedretainingourcurrentbusinessasthe bestfoundationforgrowthandwillcontinuetodoso inthefutureaswell.
Whatdoesthefuturelooklikeforthecompanyin termsofgrowthandexpansion?
Weaimtobeoneofthemostrecognizedandtrusted languagesolutionscompanyformanylanguagepairs. GloballywewantUlatus(www.ulatus.jp)tobethe firstchoiceforclientsseekingtranslationservice acrossindustries.
Achievingthiswilltakealotofworkandpatiencebut wearecurrentlyfocusedonqualityandourdedication toclientsatisfaction.We’vebeengrowingsteadily overthelastcoupleofyears,andweexpecttodoeven betterintheyearstocome.Blendingtechnologywith qualityhasworkedforussofarandwewillcontinue todothatmoreefficiently,intimestocome.
Shilpa Sanghai Mittal | CEO We aim to be one of the most recognized and trusted language solutions company for many language pairs. “ “ The Increasing Importance of Remote Working Culture Ifanyoneasks,whatisthemostdrasticoutcomeofthe COVID-19pandemic,theobviousanswerisan unprecedentedsocialandeconomicdisruption. However,inadditiontothis,itbisectedthetimelineof humanhistory.Thistimelinewaspreviouslydividedbased onthebirthofJesusChrist(ADandBC)andthenafterthe secondworldwar.Buttheglobaldisruptioncausedbythe pandemicsimplyaddedanewspotontheaxisoftime.
Fromnowon,wheneverthehistorybookswillbewrittenin thefuture,thereferenceswillbedividedintopre-pandemic andpost-pandemic.Suchistheimpactitcausedonaglobal level.Thoughthepandemichaschangedglobaldynamics, italsoledtosometechnologicalrevolutions.Worldwide lockdownsledtoasuddenshiftintraditionalworkingand gavebirthtoanewnormal–'Work-from-home.'
Believedtobeablessingindisguise,thework-from-home orsimplyremoteworkingprocesshasbecomepopularin
theworkingcultureofmanycompanies.Itisoneofthe positivesthatemergedfromthenegativeeffectsofthe pandemic.Whenmillionsofenterprisesfacedanexistential threatduringunprecedentedtimes,remoteworkingwasthe onlyoptionthatsavedthem.
EarlyInfluencesofRemoteWorkingCulture Remoteworkingwasnotinitiatedbythepandemic.Itwas alreadyinpracticeevenbeforetheemergenceofthe internet.JackNilles,ANASAengineer,coinedtheterm 'telecommuting'in1973andlaidthefoundationofmodern remoteworkingculture.Further,withthearrivalofgarage start-ups,anewgenerationwasbornthatwasassociated withentrepreneursandtheirideas.Theseentrepreneurs workedfromtheirhomes,smallofficerooms,orevenfrom shedstoruntheirbusinesses.
Ontheotherhand,employeesstartedtoprefercompanies thatwereflexible,allowingthemtocontinueworkingfrom theirpreferredlocationsorassuitabletotheirpremises.The technologicalrevolutionprovidedessentialflexibilityinthe workingmoduleandensuredthesmoothrunningofa business.Thejourneythatstartedfromheavycomputers reachedtheportablelaptopsandfurthertosmartphonesand tablets.
Machinesthatusedtotakeupentireroomsarenowsmall enoughtofitinthebagsoreveninyourpockets.These portabledeviceseliminatedthenecessityofworkingata particularlocation.TheinventionofWirelessFidelity(WiFi)wastheicingonthecake,whichprovidedwireless accesstotheinternet.Theamalgamationoftheseadvanced gadgetsallowedcompaniesandtheiremployeestowork accordingtotheirpreferredlocations.
ThePandemicBoost Thoughthepandemichasnotinventedremoteworking,it reallyacceleratedtheuseofthismodule.Thesuddenshift intheworkingculturetoppledtheoperationsofcompanies andforcedthemtoprovidetheirworkerstheaccesstowork remotely.Soon,theawarenessaboutremoteworking widespreadthroughouttheworld,andcompaniesadaptedto workfromhomelookingattheneedofanhour.Once consideredafad,remoteworkinghasnowbecomeatrend ineverysector
Thechangeinthepolicypushedmanycompaniesto implementatechno-savvyapproachtosurviveinthe market.Previouslytherewasatraditionalmindsetofpeople thatemployeescan'tworkefficientlywhentheyarenotin theoffice,andhence,theymustbeworkingunderthesame roof.Butthepandemicoverturnedthisapproach,anddueto themanyadvantages,thatremoteworkingprovided,itjust shiftedthewindstowardsnewhorizons.
WhatNext? Technologicaladvancementisonitsvergeleadingtothe digitizationofeverything.Thenew ageisadigitalage,andremoteworkingisthemostobvious thingtoimplement.Todate,'Cloud-basedComputing'has becomeabuzzword,anditishasteningtheuseofthe remoteworkingmodule.Companieswhohadseenthis moduleasjustapassingfadpreviouslyarenowrealizingits importance.
Aswork-from-homeisbecominganewnorm,companies needtobeequippedwithupgradedgadgetsandtoolsto surviveinthefuturemarketrace.Itislikelythatcompanies willchooseahybridandflexibleworkingpolicyfor employees.Thehybridapproachprovidesemployeesthe autonomyofchoosingtheworklocationthatincreasestheir efficiencyandsuitsthembest.
Ontheflipside,allowingteamstoworkremotelyhelps companiesincreaseemployeeretention.Theynolonger havetobeconcernedabouttheinconvenient,costly,and disruptiveconsequencesofteammembersleavingfor brighterpastures.Withtheadvantagesgreatly outnumberingthedownsides,it'stimetothinkaboutthe futureofworkandhowremoteworkingwillfitintoit.After all,changehasbeentheconstant,andthosewhoacceptedit acedtherace.
-VinayakGhorpade
Crafting Distinctive Websites for Content Creators Inaworldwheretheinternetreignssupreme,content creationhasgainedastrongfoothold.Forabusinessto prosperinthishyperspace,itshouldhavearobust onlinepresence.Websitesactasacoverofthebookthat describesthefeaturesofthecompany.Impressivecontent andauser-friendlyinterfacearecertainhallmarksthat attractaudiencesandpresentthepossibilityoftransforming themintofuturecustomers.
Webservicesplayavitalroleinmakingwebsiteslook attractive,impressive,andinteractive.Therefore,aweb
developmentpartnerisanessentialinvestmentsothata businesscandrivetherespectivemarketwithexcellence.
10up,basedinRoseville,California,isonesuchcompany, whichmakescyberspacebetterwithconsultativeinnovative andengineeringservices,creativetools,andreliable productsthattakethehassleoutofcontentcreationand managementinserviceofdigitalexperiencesthatfurther businessandmarketingobjectives.
Inthefollowinginterview,JakeGoldman,theFounderof
10UP,whosededicationandcontributiontotheWordPress communityhasmadehimachievehisdreams,shareswith usthesuccessstoryofhiscompany
Enlightenuswiththejourneyof10upsofar. 10upwasfoundedbyJakeGoldmanin2011.Jakeinitially embracedWordPressinhispriorrolearound2008and contributedheavilytotheWordPresscommunityoverthe yearsthatfollowed.In2011,Jakesawanopportunityto startanagencythatcouldpositionitselfastheleading designandengineeringexpertspecializinginWordPress.
TakingacuefromthedistributednatureoftheWordPress communityitselfandnotwantingtotetherhimself–orhis talentsearch–toasingularlocation,10upwas100% distributedfromthestart.
Inthedecadesince,10uphasgrownfrom1employeeto over250–spanningdozensofstatesandcountriesaround theglobe–andhasworkedwithclientsrangingfromESPN andTheNewYorkTimestoHeap.ioandCreditKarmato MicrosoftandSalesforce.
Kindlytalkabouttheexclusiveproductsorservices offeredby10up.
Wemakefinelycraftedwebsitesanddigitaltoolsforclients rangingfromMicrosoftandSalesforcetoESPNand Politico.Weofferafullsuiteofdigitalexpertise,spanning webstrategy,experiencedesign,engineering,audience,and revenueoptimization,andmore.
Wealsocontributeextensivelytotheopen-sourceprojects behindoursuccess,likeWordPress,andshareoursolutions withthecommunity,likeDistributorPlugin.comand ElasticPress.io.
Whatisthevisionandmissionof10up?
Webelievebuildingfinelycrafteddigitalexperiences shouldtranscendsingularindustriesortrendsandstriveto ensurethatourteamisreadyandabletosolveanysortof digitalchallenge:whetheracomplicatedrevenuechallenge foratraditionalpublisheroranoveltechnicalideafroma rapidlygrowingstart-up.
Whatkindofchallengeshas10upanditsteamfaced industry-wise?
Perhapsunsurprisingly,thetechnologylandscape–within theWordPresscommunityandatlarge–haschanged significantlyinourdecade-longhistory Whatwereonce simplewebsiteshavegrownupintocomplicatedplatforms builtfrommultipletechnologies?
Buildingandmaintainingtheflexibilitythattheseshifts necessitatehasrequiredcarefuleffortonourpart,though ourremoteworkingmodelhasmadeitconsiderablyeasier
Howhavetechnologicaladvancementsandinnovation intheindustryimpacted/enhancedthebusinessof 10up?
Aremotecompany’ssuccesscomesdowntoonething: communication.Overthelastdecade,severalnewtools–Slack,Zoom–havere-inventedthewaywecommunicate online.They’reasgood,andsometimesbetter,as traditionalface-to-face,in-officecommunication.
Whatareyourstrategicallydrivenplanstobe implementedtoscalethebusinessintheupcomingyear?
We’recontinuingtotakeadvantageofthehiringflexibility thatourremoteworkingmodelempowers,bringingthebest talentontotheteamnomatterwheretheylive.
Whatdoesthefuturelooklikeforthecompanyinterms ofgrowthandexpansion?
Weplantocontinuegrowingourteam.
