In 2016, we launched GuestReady in six international locations on the identical time. Our ambition was to construct a globally main firm, so constructing throughout completely different areas was a given from day one. Our pondering was easy: if Airbnb labored in a market, we’d work in that market too. We picked these markets quick and entrepreneurially, however weren’t precisely scientific in how we evaluated them.
Out of these six, solely two labored. We shut the others down.
That costly lesson taught me to be extra strategic about market choice. Nevertheless it additionally pressured us to grasp one thing equally essential: constructing efficient cross-border groups. Working in a number of international locations from day one, we rapidly study that distributed teamwork isn’t non-obligatory however important for survival.
Eight years later, we’re a staff of over 300 folks representing greater than 60 nationalities, working throughout Europe, the Center East, and Asia. We’ve realized methods to scale internationally with out dropping the agility that makes startups aggressive. Constructing throughout borders isn’t about managing complexity – it’s about turning that complexity into aggressive benefit.
Right here’s what truly labored for us when constructing cross-border groups.
Begin with what unites everybody: Mission, imaginative and prescient and values
When folks work throughout completely different international locations, cultures, and time zones, they want greater than instruments or processes to remain related. A transparent mission, imaginative and prescient, and set of values can function the inspiration that holds a distributed staff collectively.
A mission and imaginative and prescient act because the north star, reminding folks why they’re a part of the organisation, even when they’ve by no means met a lot of their colleagues in particular person. Values information day-to-day behaviour, significantly when groups face challenges or cultural variations.
In our case, we began with too many values, and nobody might keep in mind them, together with me. Over time, we narrowed them right down to 4 that folks truly reside by: working higher collectively as a staff, being systematic in constructing processes for scale, driving change by staying proactive, and taking possession of outcomes.
These few however clear ideas reduce throughout variations in background and tradition, making a shared id that everybody within the organisation can recognise and align with.
Communication because the working system
In a distributed setup, communication isn’t only a operate. It’s the working system of the corporate. Get it proper, and you progress quick. Get it flawed, and also you stall.
Within the early days, we had weekly all-hands calls the place everybody might add agenda factors. It was casual, direct, and unbureaucratic. That format labored once we had been small and wanted fixed alignment.
As we grew previous 100, then 200 folks, weekly turned too operational. We switched to month-to-month all-hands with extra preparation and construction, plus quarterly city halls for technique and long-term objectives.
The precept: Our communication cadence wanted to evolve with our dimension. What retains a staff of 20 aligned will drown a staff of 200.
Throughout a disaster, communication issues much more. When COVID hit our trade onerous, we ramped up communication: weekly all-hands calls plus weekly updates I wrote personally. Each 2-3 days, everybody inside heard immediately from me what we knew, what we didn’t know, and what our plan was. In a distributed staff, we don’t have the luxurious of individuals seeing me within the workplace. Transparency and frequency changed that.
This structured strategy turned essential once we constructed RentalReady. What began as our inner device is now a complete platform serving over 8,000 items throughout Europe. Having distributed groups truly accelerated improvement. Our builders might collaborate immediately with operations groups in Portugal, France, the UK or Dubai to know actual localised consumer wants.
Time zones: maintain the staff in sync
One hidden price of distributed groups is time zones. A ten-hour distinction can imply a full day misplaced ready for replies.
We needed to make a deliberate alternative: no Americas staff for now, for the reason that time distinction with Asia would have been too massive. In the present day, our most time zone distinction is about seven hours.
We additionally modify working hours to extend overlap. Our Malaysia staff, for instance, typically begins later and works nearer to European hours. That method, we maximise real-time collaboration and minimise asynchronous delays.
We discovered that overlap mattered greater than anticipated. With out it, velocity rapidly dropped.
Onboarding and belonging from day one
One of many largest speed-killers in cross-border groups is sluggish onboarding. If new hires take months to get productive, your distributed setup will at all times really feel sluggish.
We solved this with structured onboarding workflows. Each new rent goes by means of a course of masking instruments, processes, and tradition. We additionally assign a buddy to each new joiner for private assist.
As soon as a month, our CTO and I host calls with all new joiners. It’s a small-group Q&A the place we reply questions transparently. This isn’t simply information switch. It’s about constructing connection and belonging. When folks really feel related, they transfer quicker.
Efficiency and accountability
Pace doesn’t simply come from communication and onboarding. It comes from readability. Everybody must know what’s anticipated and the way efficiency is measured.
We constructed a efficiency administration framework combining yearly 360° opinions with peer suggestions, half-yearly efficiency opinions between managers and direct experiences, and clear KPIs tracked in month-to-month enterprise overview calls.
We share company-wide efficiency in month-to-month all-hands and quarterly city halls. This transparency ensures nobody is “out of sight, out of thoughts.” Accountability is shared, no matter location.
Processes alone don’t construct tradition, although. Folks nonetheless want moments of connection.
Human connection: Distributed however not absolutely distant
We’ve by no means been absolutely distant. As an alternative, we function a distributed mannequin with hubs in key cities. Folks can meet in particular person when wanted, and this makes an enormous distinction.
Within the early days, we held yearly international meetups, flying everybody collectively. That created bonds that carried us by means of the remainder of the yr. In the present day, we focus extra on regional meetups: nonetheless in-person, however more cost effective and extra frequent.
Generally, that you must shake palms, share a meal, and chuckle collectively. Digital instruments can’t absolutely substitute that human ingredient.
The truth: Complexity that drives velocity
I’d be mendacity if I stated we’ve figured all of it out. Constructing throughout borders stays one in all our hardest challenges. However the different, staying native, is way extra limiting.
Hiring throughout borders isn’t regardless of velocity; it may be a driver of velocity. The variety of views, entry to expertise, and resilience of a distributed setup could make your organization stronger and quicker.
We’ve constructed a staff of 60 nationalities. We’ve confronted crises, scaled throughout continents, and stayed quick. Not as a result of we averted the challenges of cross-border groups, however as a result of we tackled them head-on and constructed the tradition, processes, and communication to make it work.
In case you’re constructing a distributed staff, don’t worry the complexity. Finished proper, it’s one of many largest benefits you possibly can create.
