Things We're Still Figuring Out

Things We’re Still Figuring Out

A U T H E N T I C F O R M & F U N C T I O N F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 5

Bryant Hughes, Chicago

Chris Arnold, Denver

@BRYANTAXS @CHR I S FARNOLD

An ethos rooted in remote work, promoting autonomy, results-based work, and general life flexibility.

We come to the office because we love it, and we want to build with the best, regardless of geographic location.

We want Authentic F&F to be the vehicle enabling us to live a creative and inspired life.

A lean and capable web design & technology studio; digital generalists executing projects ranging from experiential microsites to large scale web applications.

S M A L L / M E D I U M / L A R G E B U S I N E S S E S

S TA R T U P S

C R E AT I V E A G E N C I E S

W H O W E H E L P

W H AT W E B U I L D

O U R S E RV I C E S

C O N S U LT, P L A N N I N G , D E S I G N

F R O N T E N D , B A C K E N D

O N G O I N G C L I E N T S U P P O R T

E X P E R I E N T I A L M I C R O S I T E S

H I G H F U N C T I O N I N G W E B S I T E S

E C O M M E R C E

M O B I L E A N D N AT I V E A P P S

P R O D U C T- O R I E N T E D W E B A P P L I C AT I O N S

Stories, failures, and successes.

P R O J E C T P R I C I N G B E S T P R A C T I C E S

C O M M U N I C AT I O N A N D P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T

C O L L A B O R AT I N G W I T H O T H E R A G E N C I E S

R E M O T E T E A M B U I L D I N G

H I R I N G E M P L O Y E E S

Project Pricing, Best Practices

Fixed bid? Hourly? Value-based? Is there a right or wrong way to base project pricing?

Does it depend on the type of project or the nature of the industry?

How do clients react to methods of pricing?

Our Path

A LWAY S H A D S O M E F O R M O F F I X E D P R O J E C T P R I C I N G

H A R D T O E X P E C T C L I E N T S T O I M M E D I AT E LY J U M P I N T O H O U R LY / A G I L E P R I C I N G M O D E L S

A LWAY S B A S E O U R E S T I M AT E O N R E A L E S T I M AT E D H O U R S

P R E V I O U S LY D E L I V E R E D I T E M I Z E D E S T I M AT E S W I T H H I G H / L O W C O S T S , N O T A N Y M O R E

VA L U E - B A S E D C A N B E H A R D T O D E T E R M I N E , B U T I M P O R TA N T T O T H E P R O C E S S

Our Path

H O W S H O U L D W E H A N D L E B I L L I N G T I M E P E R I O D S ? W E E K LY, M O N T H LY, E T C .

W H E N D O W E TA K E P O R T F O L I O B U I L D S V E R S U S M O N E Y M A K E R S ?

What we’re still figuring out

Communication, Project Management

How does a remote team stay in communication each day?

What tools are the best for inter-team and client-facing communications?

A I M , G O O G L E C H AT, C A M P F I R E , B A S E C A M P AT F I R S T

T R A N S I T I O N E D T O S L A C K , S C R E E N H E R O , H A N G O U T S , B U G H E R D , I N V I S I O N

Q U I C K B O O K S B E C A M E X E R O A N D H A RV E S T

Our Path

H O W D O W E E N S U R E A R E M O T E - F I R S T C O M M U N I C AT I O N S T Y L E ?

C A N M A N A G E M E N T E V E R B E T H E S A M E P E R P R O J E C T ?

H O W O F T E N D O E S A C L I E N T D I C TAT E T O O L S ?

Collaborating with Other Agencies

Do you actively take on work from other agencies?

Is it bad to work on a project where the client isn’t your client?

Does this hurt your business in the long run?

W E D O I T … B U T N O T A L O T

I M P O R TA N T T H AT T H E W O R K A L I G N S W I T H Y O U R O W N V I S I O N A N D O B J E C T I V E S A S A C O M PA N Y

R E Q U I R E S Y O U H AV E A F I R M G R I P O N A U N I F I E D P R O C E S S A N D I N D I V I D U A L R O L E S

I M P O R TA N T T O K N O W H O W T O H A N D L E F I R E S

Our Path

H O W C A N W E B E FA S T E R I N C O L L A B O R AT I O N ?

H O W D O Y O U M A N A G E C O M M U N I C AT I O N W I T H T H E C L I E N T ?

Remote Team Building

How is a dispersed team setup for ongoing success?

How does the team stay engaged with one another and projects?

Where is the line when suggesting personal routines?

F O R U S I T WA S B U I LT I N AT F I R S T; H A B I T S W E R E S I M I L A R

S U C C E S S S U R R O U N D E D R O U T I N E S T H AT A L I G N E D W I T H O N E A N O T H E R

C O F F E E B R E A K S , B I K E R I D E S , S TA N D A R D P L E A S A N T R I E S

H I R I N G C H A N G E D O U R I N T E R P R E TAT I O N O F S E T T I N G T H E S TA G E F O R S U C C E S S A N D E N G A G E M E N T

S E T T I N G T H E T O N E F O R P E R S O N A L S C H E D U L E S ; D E F I N I N G “ F L E X I B L E ”

T H E S P E C T R U M O F E M O J I S T O C O M PA N Y R E T R E AT S , B R A I N S T O R M I N G I D E A S

Our Path

H O W M A N Y C O M PA N Y R E T R E AT S P E R Y E A R ?

W H E N M U S T W E E N F O R C E T I M E O F F R E Q U I R E M E N T S ?

W H AT P E R K S I N S P I R E ? S T I P E N D S , T E C H G I F T S , B E E R , E T C .

H O W D O W E G A U G E A U T O N O M Y O N P R O J E C T S ?

W H E R E I S T H E B U S I N E S S A N D P E R S O N A L B O U N D A RY L I N E ?

Hiring Employees

What is the best approach for hiring remotely?

How can you vet candidates thousands of miles away?

What are we even looking for?

M A I N LY J O B B O A R D S : A U T H E N T I C J O B S , A N G E L L I S T, L U K E ’ S C I R C L E

G M A I L P I P E L I N E ( S T R E A K ) T O K E E P TA B S

E V O LV I N G I N T E RV I E W P R O C E S S

Our Path

H O W C A N W E B E T T E R S E T E X P E C TAT I O N S ?

W H AT I S T H E TA L E N T / C U LT U R E M I X ?

H O W C A N W E F I N D O U T M O R E , Q U I C K LY, I N I N T E RV I E W S ?

W H E N D O W E P U L L T H E T R I G G E R ?

H O W M U C H O F T H I S I S S M A R T S V S . G U T S ?

What have we figured out?

We all learn by doing. Observing others’ decisions, executing, and checking our egos.

What matters is an awareness of the options, spending valuable time understanding what’s most important for your own unique situation.

Thank you for listening!

AUTHENT I C F F. COM

Things We're Still Figuring Out

Small Business & Entrepreneurship

Transcript of Things We're Still Figuring Out