How We Collaborate at Keppian

At Keppian, being a fully remote team offers great flexibility, but it also presents challenges in staying connected and collaborating effectively. To overcome these, we've found that the right asynchronous tools are essential. In this post, we’re excited to share our top three tools that keep us productive, engaged, and in sync, no matter where we are.

Google Docs

https://www.google.co.uk/docs/about/

We believe in capturing our deep information through writing, and Google Docs is our go-to tool for making this happen.

• Creating Tools When developing our thinking models, strategies, and tools, we draft, revise, and finalize these documents in Google Docs, allowing us to contribute our insights and edits in real-time.

• Discussing Product Ideas, Goals, and Direction We use Google Docs to articulate product ideas and goals, increasing alignment for the entire team. By documenting these ideas and objectives in a shared document, everyone can refer back to the original vision, understand the rationale behind decisions, and contribute their thoughts. This helps us maintain a unified direction and ensures that our collective thinking is consistently recorded and accessible for future reference. For marketing campaigns, we use Google Docs to brainstorm strategies, taglines, and messaging. We find these written forms of ideas and goals to be powerful and transparent.

• Creating Learning Materials We use Google Docs to develop and refine training materials, scripts for classrooms, and exercises for team members. By collaborating in real-time, we ensure that learning content is clear, engaging, and aligned with our desired learning outcomes. This shared document also serves as a space for discussing the effectiveness of these materials and making improvements based on feedback.

• Stakeholder Collaboration When working with external partners or stakeholders, we create shared Google Docs to outline project scopes, timelines, and deliverables. This ensures that everyone involved is aligned and can track progress in one centralized document.

• Random Curiosities Throughout the day, team members often jot down spontaneous ideas, thoughts, questions, or observations in a shared Google Doc. This serves as a collective think tank where ideas can be revisited and expanded upon later.

  
  

Google Sheets

https://workspace.google.com/intl/en-US/products/sheets/

We rely on Google Sheets for a wide range of tasks that are crucial to our team's success.

• Managing Finances Our finance team uses Google Sheets to track expenses, revenue, and budgets. With formulas and built-in functions, we can easily calculate totals, compare monthly performance, and forecast future financial needs. This transparency allows for better financial planning and decision-making.

• Monitoring Product Metrics We use Google Sheets to compile and monitor key product metrics, such as user engagement, retention rates, and feature usage. By organizing this data in charts and tables, we can quickly identify trends and make data-driven decisions to improve our products.

• Project Management For project management, we create detailed project plans in Google Sheets, outlining timelines, milestones, and resource allocation. The real-time collaboration features allow team members to update progress, ensuring that everyone stays informed and projects stay on track.

• Automating Repetitive Tasks We leverage Google Sheets' scripting capabilities to automate repetitive tasks, such as sending reminders for upcoming deadlines or updating weekly sales figures. This automation reduces manual effort and ensures that critical tasks are consistently completed on time.

Miro

https://miro.com/

Miro is our go-to tool for visual collaboration, helping us bring ideas to life and facilitating interactive sessions.

• Brainstorming We use Miro to facilitate brainstorming sessions where team members can visually share and build on ideas. The digital whiteboard allows everyone to contribute in real-time, adding sticky notes, drawings, and comments. This collaborative space helps us generate creative solutions and ensures that every voice is heard during the brainstorming process.

• Mapping Ideas When we need to map out complex ideas, such as product workflows or customer journeys, Miro provides the perfect platform. We use it to create flowcharts, mind maps, and diagrams that visually represent our thoughts. This clarity helps us align on concepts and easily communicate intricate ideas to the rest of the team.

• Creating Training Materials Our team leverages Miro to design and organize training materials. We can arrange content in a visual and interactive manner, breaking down complex topics into easily digestible sections. By using visual aids like diagrams, infographics, and interactive elements, we make our training sessions more engaging and effective.

• Running Training Sessions Miro serves as a dynamic platform for running training sessions, especially in collaborative environments. Trainers can guide participants through exercises, presentations, and discussions directly on the board, allowing for hands-on learning. Students can interact with the material in real-time, providing feedback, asking questions, and participating in group activities, all within the Miro platform.

• Mood Boarding For creative projects, we use Miro to create mood boards that capture the visual and conceptual direction of our work. By collecting images, color schemes, fonts, and other design elements in one place, we can quickly communicate the intended style and atmosphere to the entire team. Miro’s flexibility allows us to easily rearrange and refine the mood board as the project evolves.