Nachotuesday: Building Collaborative Global Teams (Ft. Dmytro Okunyev, Founder & CEO at Chanty)

Summary

In this Nacho Tuesday episode, Andy Caruso interviews Dimitro Okunf, founder of Chanty, a communication and collaboration platform. Dimitro discusses the importance of building global teams, leveraging diverse talent, and the company's focus on affordability and ease of use. He shares tips for hiring globally, including testing candidates with short-term contracts and using platforms like Upwork. Dimitro also emphasizes the value of cultural exchange and effective communication across time zones. Chanty aims to be the information hub for modern businesses, offering smart solutions to enhance daily activities.

Takeaways

• 😀 Dimitro Okunf is the founder of Chanty, a communication and collaboration platform offering business email, video calling, and task management at an affordable price.
• 🌐 Dimitro started Chanty to solve communication challenges between large enterprises and smaller suppliers, leading to the creation of an all-in-one tool.
• 💼 Dimitro advises companies to look beyond resumes and conduct test projects or short-term contracts to evaluate potential global team members.
• 🔍 For finding talent globally, Dimitro suggests platforms like Upwork and considering regions like Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
• 🏆 Chanty operates as a remote-first company, emphasizing the importance of work-life balance and supporting freelancers and contractors.
• 📈 Dimitro sees AI and business automation as major trends influencing global business operations in the next five years.
• 👥 Dimitro stresses the importance of diversity and inclusion in building a global team, which aligns with creating a global product.
• 📅 Dimitro recommends leveraging instant communication tools, having regular team meetings, and promoting cultural exchange to keep a global team in sync.
• 📚 Dimitro suggests reading 'The Lean Startup' by Eric Ries and emphasizes daily learning, even if it's just 30-45 minutes, for entrepreneurs.
• 🔄 Dimitro shared a unique customer support strategy where every department takes turns doing customer support to stay connected to customer needs.
• 📈 Dimitro's vision for Chanty in five years is to be the information hub for every modern business, providing intelligent solutions to help employees in their day-to-day activities.

Q & A

What is Chanty and what does it offer?

Chanty is a communication and collaboration platform that provides an all-in-one tool with business instant messaging, video calling solutions, and task managers at an affordable price.

How did Dimitro Okunf come up with the idea for Chanty?

Dimitro Okunf, while running an agency, had to manage communication between big clients and smaller suppliers distributed globally. The lack of efficient solutions at the time led him to build Chanty.

What is Dimitro's advice for companies looking to build global teams?

Dimitro recommends that companies should focus on hiring based on tests or trial work periods rather than just resumes to see how candidates fit within the team.

What tips does Dimitro offer for finding talent globally?

Dimitro suggests looking beyond resumes and conducting test work periods to evaluate candidates. He also advises considering platforms like Upwork for hiring freelancers to test their fit before full-time employment.

How does Chanty support remote work and global teams?

Chanty supports remote work by providing tools for instant communication, video and audio calling, and collaborative boards, making it easier for global teams to stay connected and work effectively.

What is Dimitro's perspective on the future of global business environments?

Dimitro sees a future where AI and business automation technologies will prevail, and workplaces will remain hybrid, balancing work from home and office environments.

How does Chanty handle customer support?

Chanty emphasizes exceptional customer support by solving real business problems and automating workflows. They also implement a round-robin support system where every department takes turns providing support to stay connected to customer needs.

What challenges did Dimitro face while building Chanty?

Early challenges included finding the right team, developing strong working processes, creating a unique value proposition, and achieving product-market fit.

What is Dimitro's approach to failure and learning from it?

Dimitro supports a culture of experiments, where failures are seen as opportunities to learn and improve. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the reasons behind failures to drive future success.

What books would Dimitro recommend for entrepreneurs?

Dimitro recommends 'The Lean Startup' by Eric Ries, and he emphasizes the importance of daily learning through reading, podcasts, or other media.

What is the future vision for Chanty?

In five years, Dimitro envisions Chanty becoming the information hub for every modern business, providing smart solutions and virtual assistance to support companies and their employees.