Quora | Becoming a Remote-First Company

TL;DR

Quora CEO Adam D'Angelo discusses the shift to remote work at Quora and the benefits it brings.

Transcript

hi everyone i'm david thacker an investing partner at greylock you're listening to gray matter where we share stories from company builders and business leaders this episode is part of our new series focused on the people technologies and business strategies that enable most of us to work from anywhere today we're talking with adam deangelo the fou... Read More

Key Insights

• 😌 Quora believes that remote work will reduce commuting time and relieve the pressure on housing prices and mass transit systems.
• 👻 Remote work allows for increased labor mobility, as employees can relocate to areas with better job opportunities.
• 💦 The shift to remote work benefits dual-income households, as one partner can take advantage of job opportunities without disrupting the other's career.
• 🆘 Becoming a remote-first company may help Quora compete for talent globally and increase diversity in their workforce.
• 💪 Quora emphasizes the importance of synchronous communication tools to foster collaboration and maintain a strong company culture in a remote work environment.
• ❓ Quora acknowledges the challenges of recreating informal communications and social interactions in a remote setting and is actively exploring solutions.
• 💦 Adam D'Angelo recognizes the importance of decisiveness as a leader in making significant shifts, such as transitioning to remote work.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why did Quora decide to become a remote-first company?

Quora made the decision because they realized the benefits of remote work outweighed the drawbacks, such as decreased commuting time and increased labor mobility.

Q: How will Quora ensure effective collaboration among remote employees?

Quora plans to use synchronous communication tools, like Zoom, to enable real-time collaboration among remote teams. They believe that face-to-face interactions are crucial for productive discussions.

Q: Did Quora consult its employees before making the decision to go remote-first?

Yes, Quora conducted surveys to gather feedback from its employees about productivity and their preferences for remote work. However, the decision was ultimately made by the leadership team.

Q: How will the shift to remote work affect Quora's ability to attract top talent?

Quora expects that becoming a remote-first company will give them a competitive advantage in attracting top talent, as they can now hire employees from anywhere in the world, eliminating the constraints of location.

Summary

In this episode of Gray Matter, David Thacker interviews Adam D'Angelo, the founder and CEO of Quora, about the company's decision to become a remote-first company. Adam shares the history of Quora and its mission to connect people who want knowledge with people who have it. He also discusses the challenges and benefits of remote work, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Adam emphasizes the importance of synchronous communication and outlines the technologies and processes Quora has put in place to ensure effective collaboration among remote teams. He also reflects on the leadership lessons he has learned and the societal benefits of a shift to remote work, such as increased labor mobility and reduced commuting time.

Questions & Answers

Q: Can you give a brief introduction to Quora and its mission?

Quora is a question and answer platform founded in 2009. The company aims to connect people seeking knowledge with experts who can provide it. By leveraging the expertise of individuals, Quora has built a vast library of answers to a wide range of questions. Currently, Quora has over 300 million monthly unique visitors.

Q: How did Quora operate before the pandemic in terms of office culture and collaboration tools?

Prior to the pandemic, Quora had a strong office culture, with most employees working in a single office in Mountain View. In-person meetings and informal communication were common, and the company used collaboration tools such as Slack, Quip, and email.

Q: Adam, why were you not a proponent of remote work before the pandemic? Did you have any negative experiences with it in the past?

There were multiple factors that influenced our previous stance on remote work. In the early days of Quora, housing costs in Silicon Valley were low, and it was easy to assemble the entire team in one location. We also had limited experiences with individuals working remotely, and in most cases, it resulted in the remote workers feeling disconnected and at a disadvantage compared to those working in the office. These experiences, combined with the bias towards in-person interactions and the challenges of coordinating hybrid setups, led us to discourage remote work.

Q: What new technologies and processes has Quora implemented to support remote work?

Quora is still focused on synchronous communication and primarily uses Zoom for video calls. The company believes that the back-and-forth interaction between individuals with different skills and responsibilities is crucial for effective collaboration. While some remote-first companies emphasize asynchronous communication, Quora has chosen to maintain synchronous coordination. To ensure availability and collaboration, Quora has designated specific hours during which employees need to be accessible regardless of their location, creating a standardized time frame for everyone.

Q: How did Quora involve its employees in the decision to become a remote-first company?

Transitioning to a remote-first company was a polarizing choice, and there were various options on the table, such as returning to the office as before or adopting a hybrid model. Quora ran surveys to gather employees' feedback on productivity and asked for suggestions on ways to improve it. However, reaching a decision was challenging, time-consuming, and required significant effort from the CEO. It was crucial to consider employees' preferences and ensure their buy-in, especially given the uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

Q: Did Quora's requirement for employees to work locally have any impact on the company's ability to attract top talent?

While Quora was able to hire good local talent, the requirement for employees to work locally limited the company's ability to recruit individuals from outside the Bay Area. The visa system also created limitations in hiring international talent. By shifting to a remote-first model, Quora expects to have a competitive advantage in recruiting top talent globally. This change not only benefits the company but also provides opportunities for individuals worldwide.

Q: Has Quora had to change its product development process to accommodate remote work? Are there any new skill sets required?

So far, Quora has been able to maintain its existing product development process, setting goals, having meetings, staying in sync, and running experiments. The company relies on in-house tools for experimentation and continuous deployment. However, one challenge Quora is currently focused on is replicating the informal communication that naturally occurs in the office. While tools like Zoom and Donut have been implemented to encourage casual conversations, the need for more tools that enable informal interactions remains. Quora is excited to see what innovations emerge in this growing market.

Q: What leadership lessons have you learned from this experience of transitioning to remote-first work?

Adam reflects on the importance of decisiveness as a leader, emphasizing the need to recognize critical choices and dedicate time to making the right decision. Drawing from his experience at Quora's early years, Adam believes that decisiveness at a high level is essential to orient the entire company effectively. He also acknowledges the challenges of managing uncertainty during a pandemic and empathizes with the struggles faced by other companies in making these decisions.

Q: How has the previous stigma against completely remote companies changed? Have you learned anything from companies like GitLab or Automattic?

Quora is learning from other companies that have operated successfully as completely or predominantly remote organizations. While the company does not aim to emulate these companies entirely, it acknowledges the impact they have made and the lessons they offer. Quora recognizes that the shift to remote work has gained significant acceptance and credibility, making it easier to attract talent and raise funds for remote-oriented companies.

Q: How will Quora reconfigure its office to support employees who prefer working in an office environment?

Quora plans to convert its existing office into a co-working space where employees who want to work in the office can do so. The specifics of the reconfiguration and safety measures will depend on evolving COVID-19 guidelines and considerations. After the pandemic, Quora believes that the most important change to the office will be ensuring support for individuals to participate in video calls individually, which may mean creating more smaller rooms or private offices.

Q: In your essay, you mentioned the societal benefits of remote work, such as reduced commuting time and increased labor mobility. Can you expand on those benefits?

Adam believes that remote work offers significant benefits to individuals and society as a whole. By eliminating or reducing daily commutes, remote work can reduce stress, increase productivity, and improve work-life balance. It also allows for greater labor mobility, enabling individuals and couples to move to locations that offer better job opportunities, potentially addressing the issues of decreased mobility and rising housing costs in certain regions. Additionally, remote work alleviates the coordination challenges faced by couples with dual careers, providing them with more flexibility and equal job opportunities.

Takeaways

The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a shift to remote work for many businesses, including Quora. While Quora was previously opposed to remote work, the company has recognized the benefits and has made the decision to become a remote-first company. By implementing synchronous communication and leveraging technologies like Zoom, Quora ensures effective collaboration among remote teams. The decision to go remote-first was not made lightly and involved extensive employee consultation and feedback. Quora believes that remote work has various societal benefits, such as reduced commuting time, increased labor mobility, and improved equality in the job market. The company is optimistic about the possibilities of remote work and its potential to transform the global economy.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Quora is a question and answer platform founded in 2009 that connects people seeking knowledge with those who have it.

• Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Quora had a strong office culture and discouraged remote work, but they realized the benefits of remote work once it became necessary.

• Quora has now announced that it will become a remote-first company, allowing employees to work from anywhere.