Podcast #39: Luke Stokes and Brett Florio of Foxycart

Luke Stokes and Brett Florio talk about what it’s like to be partners and co-founders of Foxycart, an eCommerce platform focusing on the cart and the checkout flow. They also talk about bringing team members onboard an already dispersed team, using different modes of communication, and overcoming hurdles in building a team that works.

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Show Notes:

Foxycart.com
Twitter:
@lukestokes
@brettflorio

01:06 – Background and History

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• Remote from the beginning
• Don’t know how else they would work
• 9 team members
• Like the flexibility of remote work

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04:43 – Finding team members

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• No need to stay local
• Django job board = more targeted than other job boards
• Networking within the community
• Local connections

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08:55 – Bringing team members onboard outside an office sit-down interview

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• Emails
• Skype/video interview
• Campfire chat room = virtual office
• People hired have had a history where Luke and Brett seen what they have done and what know they are capable of doing

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14:30 – Business of Foxycart

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• Foxycart is an eCommerce platform focusing on the cart and the checkout flow
• Built to integrate
• Flexible

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17:30 – Team Member Handbook

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• As the team grew, there were things that needed clarified
• Security
• Tool-training
• Expectations

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24:04 – Modes of communication

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• Google+ Hangout
• HeyTell – push to talk
• iMessage

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28:00 – Culture

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• Similarities in age, marital status, family, passions, etc.
• Personal relationships outside of just work

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31:33 – Overcoming hurdles in developing a dispersed team

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• Team members disappearing
• Developing a hiring process
• Org charts
• Distributing work to different members based on skills and what they want to do

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37:35 – A day in the life with Foxycart

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• Wake up, check email
• Read through Campfire logs
• Read through forum posts
• Read through support tickets
• Jump into your individual focus
• Work in blocks

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44:05 – Advice for dispersed teams

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• Value communication
• Founder/partner relationship building is critical

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