#49: Mastering Remote Work Cultures and Company Acquisitions with the CEO and COO of Formstack

Modern technology has made telecommuting and working remotely easier than ever before, opening the door for businesses to find and hire the best talent no matter where in the world they live. However, Chris Byers and Dustin Sapp will tell you that hiring the right people is only the first step; building an exceptional culture to support your remote team is equally important. Byers and Sapp are CEO and COO of Formstack, an Indianapolis tech company that provides easy-to-use, online form-building software for 15,000 customers around the world. Although Formstack maintains an office of about 30 employees at its Indianapolis headquarters, the other 70% of its workforce live in 75 cities and seven countries around the globe. The team at Formstack has worked hard to create a culture that accounts for the unique benefits and challenges of remote work, empowering every employee to do their best work in spite of physical distance. In our interview, Chris and Dustin share many of Formstack’s secrets for building world-class remote cultures. They explain the importance of fostering genuine relationships between team members, how to do this through face-to-face and virtual interactions, and why the team must always be aligned around the company’s vision. As an added bonus, we also discuss Formstack’s just-announced acquisition of Visual Antidote and how the move will fuel Formstack’s continued growth in the future. In this episode with Chris Byers and Dustin Sapp, you’ll learn: --- Why your company needs a dedicated team aligned around a core vision (10:55) --- How to build and maintain a highly effective remote work culture (19:11) --- Key reasons why your company should or shouldn’t go remote (28:00) --- Tips for overcoming the unique challenges faced by remote companies (29:43) --- The Formstack method for executing a smooth, drama-free acquisition (36:49) --- How high-growth companies can succeed and scale even without raising capital (48:13) --- If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes