Geeks and primadonnas - how to get dev and marketing working together in a start-up - Jasmin Åbacka & John Hills, Marketing Specialists at Zervant

1. Geeks and Primadonnas
How to create a collaborative environment in a startup
Jasmin Åbacka & John Hills

2. Who we are?
→ Online Invoicing software
→ 80,000+ registered users
→ Tripled in size in the last 18
m months

3. Typical Zervant user
→ Sole traders, small limited companies, self-employed people
→ Professions:
– Photographer
– Web designer
– Cake maker
– IT consultant
“With Zervant I save time and I know my invoices
are professionally made.” - Paula
“Zervant makes it easy to follow up on invoices sent,
based on the hours I track.” - Marko

4. → We have 2 different types of people:
“GEEKS” (DEV team):
- Dark
- Energy drinks and STRONG coffee
- Whiteboard (planning)
“PRIMADONNAS” (MARKETING team):
- Light
- Water and a fruit tea
- Whiteboard (cat!)
→ WHAT CHALLENGES DOES THIS POSE? HOW DOES ZERVANT SOLVE THEM?
Who works at Zervant?

5. Challenges between teams/solutions
1) Creativity (how to be creative)
2) Different ways of thinking (and working)
3) Information sharing
4) Priorities

6. → What is creativity!?
→ Developing VS. marketing a product.
→ How do you create an environment that encourages everyone to be creative?
1. Creativity

7. Creativity -> Solution
“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in
order to look at things in a different way.”
Edward de Bono

10. 2. Different ways of thinking and working
We have an open office but..
● How to ask for help? Who is responsible for what?
● What is the other team doing?
● Both teams have their own jargon and language barriers:
Marketing: “That is a nofollow link but at least we can get some more traffic.”
Development: “We have now updated the CORE - Version 3.33.1”
● Different time schedules.

11. Solutions
● Product Manager connecting teams by sharing information for both groups
● Hipchat and emoticons (better than jargon!) Messages get answered as and when people have time

12. 3. Information sharing
Startup VS. big company:
● What to share, when to share, to whom? Product features
Growing pains:
● How much shall we document and what ? We still don’t know (AND everything changes SO quickly)
● How to tell these different ways of working to newcomers?
How to share information?

13. Information Sharing -> Solutions
Solutions:
● Casual Friday = Pulla Perjantai
● Serious Monday = Monday Meetings
● Extended lunch breaks!
EXTRA (unofficial):
SkyExpress bonding over 1 litre beer and pizza

14. 4. Priorities
→ The software?
→ The product?
→ What the customer wants?
→ What the customer needs?

15. Priorities -> Solutions
No Bullsh*t
+ Work Groups
+ Flat Structure
= A-Team!

16. Focussing on similarities, not differences.
A QUICK RECAP OF OUR SOLUTIONS:
● Try to find a person who connects your teams
● Use great tools for internal discussions and documentation
● Eat more pullas together
● Have fun!
A Collaborative Environment Means...

17. “Alone we can do so little: together we can do so much.”
Helen Keller
Conclusion

18. QUESTIONS?