Why Metawork: Building a Solution for the Remote Work Era

When our team transitioned to remote work, it was a mix of excitement and challenge. Yes, we saved on office costs and embraced a diverse talent pool, but the intangible losses became quickly apparent. The impromptu discussions, the quick check-ins, and even the subtle cues of team presence – we missed these nuances of office life.

Bridging the Physical and Digital Divide

In our shift to remote work, we quickly discovered that existing digital tools, while functional, couldn’t fully replicate the ‘office feel’. Zoom, for instance, is excellent for scheduled meetings, but its formal nature means it’s rarely used for spontaneous, casual check-ins – a particular challenge for our introvert-dominant team. Meanwhile, platforms like Slack show who’s online, but this doesn’t accurately represent availability or engagement, leaving us guessing about the best time to reach out.

We also faced the challenge of dispersed schedules and tasks. Our team’s daily agendas were scattered across individual calendars, to-do lists, and project management tools like Jira and Linear. While we promoted sharing as a default, the effort required to piece together what everyone was working on was non-trivial.

Metawork is our response to these challenges. We wanted to create a space where the sense of team presence is palpable right from the start of the day, where spontaneous communication feels as natural as walking over to someone’s desk, and where a unified view of schedules and tasks is effortlessly accessible. Our aim was not just to match the physical office experience but to enhance it, making it more intuitive and seamless in a digital setting.

The Virtual Office Concept

Our Virtual Office is designed with a key focus on accurate and informative status visibility. When you log into Metawork, you see more than just who’s online. You get a real-time update on what each colleague is working on, what’s next on their schedule, and whether they are currently at their desk, in a meeting, or have stepped away.

This accuracy in status representation is crucial. It builds trust in the digital workspace, akin to glancing across a physical office and knowing if someone is available. Moreover, Metawork facilitates easy and appropriate ways to reach out to colleagues, detailed next, making interactions seamless and intuitive.

Rethinking Communication

In redesigning communication for Metawork, we aimed to streamline and enliven team interactions. A key feature in this endeavor is our voice channels, which operate as a continuous background element. They’re always on while you’re logged in, allowing for effortless, real-time communication. You can speak to anyone or a group with just a press of a button, eliminating the need to set up formal meetings for quick discussions.

Additionally, the ability to pin key teammates to your desktop offers a quick view of their availability, enabling you to initiate conversations effortlessly. If they’re busy, you can leave a voice message, and they can respond swiftly, even with an emoji. This streamlined communication approach, designed for 1-2 click interactions, brings the natural flow of office communication into the remote work world.

Insights for Smarter Work

At Metawork, our approach to productivity insights goes beyond mere data collection. We’re not just building monitoring software for managerial oversight; our goal is to create a tool that benefits everyone in the organization, from managers and HR to team members.

Data in Metawork is sourced from connected digital touchpoints, including our Virtual Office and integrations with third-party apps for calendars, to-dos, and project tracking. This approach enables us to capture how time is spent within the digital workspace, offering a comprehensive view of work patterns.

These insights are key in making informed decisions and setting effective policies. They’re about understanding and balancing workloads, preemptively identifying potential burnout, and optimizing team dynamics. We emphasize respect and utility in our tracking capabilities, ensuring they serve to enhance, not intrude, the work experience.

Our Journey So Far

Metawork is more than a tool; it’s an extension of our philosophy on remote work. It’s built from our experiences, our challenges, and our vision for a more connected, productive remote work environment. We’re excited to see where this journey takes us and how Metawork evolves with the changing dynamics of work.