S3 Episode 2: Gabriel Luna-Ostaseki on distributed working

Braintrust is the new model for how work gets done, says founder and Chief Revenue Officer Gabriel Luna-Ostaseki on this episode of the podcast.

Braintrust is the first user-controlled talent network that connects organisations with highly skilled tech talent. 

In this fascinating discussion, we covered topics such as:

• Why the way we work is outdated and what needs to be done to fix it
• How the old hierarchical model is breaking down and the need for companies to flex and bend and be very, very agile 
• How Braintrust allows people to do work they love on their own terms
• How companies can now access reliable and highly vetted talent
• How Braintrust differs from other sites such as Fiverr and Doordash
• The new market for highly skilled independent workers
• How the way in which work happens will increasingly become networked versus work happening in the traditional command and control hierarchy 

Gabriel argues that the move to distributed work has been going on for 10 years but it just got accelerated by a decade in the last few months.

One of the most interesting parts of our discussion centred around how to best manage people when they are distributed, and how companies and managers need to move to asynchronous communication. He argues that this is one of the things that a lot of big corporates have had difficulty doing, they basically moved out of their offices, but then they just kept all the same meeting structure.

With “people are just sitting on zooms for 10 hours a day”, meaning they actually don't get the benefits of distributed work when you're synchronous but distributed. He says that moving spoken to written communication unlocks a global talent pool, versus people having to be within your two hour time zone. 

 He sees this as a huge unlock, especially if you're if you are talent constrained, if you're trying to find the best technical talent in the world, if you can now expand to a global footprint, that's huge unlock for large corporations. 

Another key topic centred around an HBR article that suggests introverts are better at managing remote worker than extroverts. Managers that are more like introverts that are really successful in remote environments that are empathetic, and that are focused on attention to detail, really clear communication, and, more servant leadership, where they're focused on helping their people to succeed. 

 If you’re interested in the future of work, and how distributed teams, backed by a distributed culture will be the ones to succeed post-pandemic then this podcast is a must-listen. 

Show resources

HBR article on Remote Managers having trust issues
Braintrust website

More on Gabriel

Gabriel on LinkedIn
Gabriel on Twitter @gabelunao 

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