thanks for checking it out. Our users aren't discerning design experts like yourself, but mostly small owner-operator businesses. The websites they make here are usually way better than their current one, that they've been meaning to update for years but don't have the time to.
It's surprisingly inexpensive! Our bill for the last three days (about 8k websites built) was around $75. Definitely more expensive than standard servers, but not too bad.
Right now for the full product (Durable.co) it includes a business checking account which is limited to the US - but everything else is available worldwide.
You can still sign up and use it, we don't technically limit anything geographically yet (except for that one feature).
I built a Slack app that aims to recreate some of those physical signals by automatically managing my Slack status based on custom calendar rules (eg. collaborating, focused, out for lunch).
The goal is to allow all of our team members to control what their own day/communication rules are, and make those shoulder taps opt-in, not out.
I’m working on a tool to make that super easy (holopod.com).
We think we can solve for the impromptu conversations with a specified custom status that folks can trigger when open to a conversation (Eg. Water cooler, coffee break, etc).
I built a way to block slack notifications automatically based on your work state (Eg. Focused, in a meeting, on a call). It integrates with your calendar and desktop apps.
I’ve worked in and managed fully remote teams for 5 years, and while I love Slack have found it harder (especially as the team grows) to find any time in a day to do focused work. I could just shut down Slack entirely, but have found going offline for a day stresses me out and isn’t a great signal to the team.
THERE’S GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY!
Holopod is a Mac desktop app that automatically updates your Slack status and turns on Do Not Disturb based on the apps you’re using. For example, when I’m in Google docs for more than 2 minutes my Slack status will auto-update and my notifications will be snoozed. My team knows I’m there and working, but I won’t get any messages until my status changes back.
The app is free and only available on Mac (for now). Linux and Windows folks - we hear you.
I made a list of these recently, here are a few that come up often.
Slack for communication
Trello for project management
Github for engineering workflow
1Password for password security
Google Docs for document collaboration
Quip for document collaboration
Hellosign for legal contract signing
Helpscout for customer support
Donut for culture-building
Small Improvements for feedback
Lever for hiring
World Time Buddy (to manage timezones)
Typeform for feedback and surveys
Zoom for video chat
GSuite for spreadsheets & email
Zenefits for HR
Discourse for searchable communication
Okta for password management
OfficeVibe for team surveys and check-ins
CultureAmp for career growth
Zoom for video calls
Groove for customer support
World time buddy to see people's timezones
Teamweek for high-level team tasks
I'll throw in a plug for Holopod - it's a Slack add-on that improves visibility and communication for remote teams through automated status updates and message queuing.
Whoops. Don't pay until you receive your video! I built this in a few hours to win a contest, but it is totally legitimate. You will get an Arnold voiceover in 48 hours or less.
http://lxventures.com is a Vancouver based public company that does something very similar to what you just described. It is a very new concept, and hotly debated.
"LX Ventures is a publicly-traded startup technology incubator that launches, acquires and integrates silicon valley style early-stage, high-growth technology companies. "
+1 for https://waveapps.com. Most things are good, but I still end up spending way too much time/money on book keeping. The payroll is awesome. Currently exploring http://10sheet.com for a more streamlined solution to take my mind off the books. Around $100/month which includes access to a real human bookkeeper.