The edtech market is expected to hit around $129 billion in 2020, so naturally, startups and innovators all over the globe are showing increasing interest in the matter.

Edtech companies have the potential to completely transform traditional education structures either by incorporation new skills that are applicable in the digital age or by simplifying or revolutionizing previous methods of teaching.

Airtame was once a small company too. Our wireless screen sharing solution has come on leaps and bounds since our initial launch. We weren’t even going for the education sector to begin with, but have seen how our technology advances the classroom for the better.

With that in mind, we want to shine a light on those innovators in the industry that are also making a difference. Here are some of our favorite, smaller edtech companies and the great work they’re doing for the advancement of modern learning.

Photomath (Croatia)

Mathematical equations can be a tough nut to crack. That’s why Photomath decided to built a “camera calculator” app that provides instant help to every math problem from simple addition to complex calculus challenges.

Photomath uses a mobile phone’s camera to recognize mathematical equations, present a possible solution, and the steps it takes to get there. The camera scans the math problem, even if it’s handwritten, and utilizes text recognition and augmented reality to figure out a way to understand the challenge.

It’s not just a beneficial tool for students; teachers and parents can take advantage of the extra help Photomath presents as well, and sharpen their problem solving skills.

Book Creator (UK)

Book Creator from the United Kingdom is, like many of the best edtech companies, driven by a wonderful and simple idea that fosters creativity in the classroom. They have built a simple app for making ebooks on an iPad (they’re working on cross-platform integrations).

Book Creator is a perfect resource for teachers that want to structure their own material or students that would like to explore their creative side.

It’s easy to update which makes editing a breeze even when a new year is around the corner. It’s an ideal tool for collaboration as it allows several students to create a shared, interactive project – even with students from a completely different school or country.

Book Creator lets the creator incorporate everything from audio, video, text and images.

Kahoot! (Norway)

Kahoot! from Norway focuses on creating playful moments via fun questionnaires. Instead of dreary tests, Kahoot! takes a different approach to those dull moments by offering a game-based learning platform that makes it easy to create, find, and play a lot of fun learning games – no matter the subject, language or device.

We actually mentioned Kahoot! in an earlier article about the best business meeting apps, because it’s suitable for many ages and a fun way to keep students and meeting attendants alike engaged.

Teachers can use it to create small learning games based on multiple choice questions. Students then sign in from whatever device they’re using and use a unique code to access the game and compete against their peers.

Educators could even display the questions on the big screen to encourage social moments and productive discussions. It can be used as an exciting way to start a class or as a more structured teaching tool – it still stays fun and education at the same time.

Ruangguru (Indonesia)

Founded in 2014, Ruangguru’s mission is to provide a complete learning solution for grades six to 12. It’s a subscription-learning, private-tutoring marketplace that offers learning videos founded on a standardized syllabus, course summaries, and practice tests.

It’s a mobile application that really packs a punch with all these different modules bundled in one app, and it also helps students find long-term, private tutors. There’s a chat function with tutoring services from teachers and other qualified people.

Cubetto (UK)

Teaching computer programming to toddlers might not be the first choice for a parent or kindergarten teacher, but it’s nevertheless a great skill that proves valuable in other contexts later in life. Understanding coding will teach kids to know how their digital world and its roadmap is laid out as well as the logic behind it.

That’s what Primo Toys thought, at least. They make educational toys for younger children that teach them valuable lessons while having fun. They’ve designed a real-life game to help with this challenge.

Their game is called Cubetto, which features a robot, maps, blocks, board, and a storybook. Completely without a screen, the robot will navigate the board with some basic programming commands that keep children engaged through stories and maps.

It’s suitable both for home and class use and recommended for children aged 3-6.

3DBear (Finland)

The Finnish edtech company 3DBear is totally futuristic and totally awesome. Through their design tool, students learn how to work with augmented reality in a fun and easy way. 3DBear helps students learn about problem-solving and creative thinking with the help of augmented reality. Models created in AR can also be 3D printed.

While augmented reality isn’t on every school’s curriculum, it’s probably something we will see addressed more and more because it allows students to visualize their creative thinking and learn 21st-century skills.

Nearpod (US)

The US-based edtech company Nearpod want to take the pain and time away from student assessment. Their edtech tool helps teachers create interactive lessons cross-platform, assess students’ work in real-time and get instant feedback.

But more specifically, we would like to highlight Nearpod VR, which allows teachers to create virtual field trips or immersive teaching experiences – all without leaving the classroom.

The Nearpod VR headset works with iPads, Chromebooks, Macs and PCs – so most of the devices that a school is likely to use.

Nearpod offers a variety of virtual reality sessions, or even the ability for the teacher to create their own, and it’s the perfect tool for easy and truly immersive learning. And if a school would like to save costs, Nearpod’s VR services also work with cheaper VR headsets such as Google Cardboard.

Peergrade (Denmark)

The name almost says it all: Peergrade is a Danish startup that encourages peer grading. Peergrade’s founder thought that a single teacher grading an abundance of papers is neither as effective as it could be, nor will it deliver the most satisfactory results.

So he created Peergrade, an electronic platform where uploaded assignments can be reviewed by other students before a teacher gives their final feedback. It makes the task of grading and giving feedback a lot less time-consuming for the teacher, and it also helps give a comprehensive evaluation.

TORSH (USA)

Edtech company TORSH’s founder was born in Jamaica and raised in Brooklyn, where he experienced firsthand how many students fall behind without the proper support. When he founded TORSH, it was with the ambition to give teachers the training they need to make their learning environments safe and supportive.

TORSH is a data platform tool that provides teachers with video-based online communities that can help them improve. More experienced teachers can help mentor teachers with less experience or teachers from regions that are more challenged in the education area.

TORSH facilitates observation, coaching, and feedback. Through video-based observation tools, other educators can take a look at how fellow teachers are doing, they can set up mentor programs or measure the effectiveness of the teaching.

Lexplore (Sweden)

This Swedish edtech company is taking a humane approach to edtech. Lexplore offers a screening method to identify children with dyslexia early on so the right measures can be taken as soon as possible. It’s a simple digital reading ability test that utilizes AI to analyze the results and identify whether or not a child has reading and writing difficulties.

The earlier a reading difficulty is detected, the better the educators (or parents) can tailor their teachings to match the level of the child and make sure they’re not left behind. Lexplore is a prime example of how edtech can not only improve a learning environment but help the individual students too.

Since the test is scored based on AI and eye-tracking, the end results are very accurate and delivered a lot faster than going through educators or physicians.

Edtech companies push education forward

These startups are turning education into collaborative activities that students of all ages and levels can understand and participate in. They’re disrupting traditional learning, and it’s a good thing.

With many bright minds considering how to optimize educating, schools can benefit from more affordable and efficient tools – and better teaching principles for students and teachers all over the world.

Any eye-opening edtech tools or companies we missed on our radar? We’d love to hear from you! Plus, check out the edtech trends we predict you’ll soon see coming to the classroom

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Wireless streaming devices are a booming new market, and acquiring the right product can help boost a productive environment for schools, business and other organizations. But finding the right device can be a nightmare. That’s why we’ve made a guide for anybody looking to buy a wireless streaming device for your workplace.

We’ve compiled a list of 12 questions to ask yourself before buying a wireless streaming device. We find that these are the most essential questions, which take into account your use case, your network environment, the level of maintenance you’re looking for, as well as the price point and installation efforts.

Do you need a wireless streaming device? Define your use case

1) Business or leisure?

The first thing you have to ask yourself is, are you looking for a media player to complete your home entertainment system? Or are you looking for a quality, reliable screen sharing solution that’s going to make you king of the conference room or classroom? (yeah, that’s a thing).

If you are looking for a media player, streaming devices like Chromecast, Roku, and Amazon Fire Stick are what you need. These devices have features designed for making your Netflix and chill days more relaxing.

If you need something for your office or classroom, however, these media players are missing features that make them suitable for work environments, especially if you want wireless streaming in every meeting room or classroom. Professional screen sharing solutions, like Airtame, offer you options for easy integration with your corporate network.

If you find yourself in neither of those two categories, chances are you’re looking for a device that serves just one traditional purpose in a wireless environment. With gaming consoles, live camera feeds and external digital signage, you want a wireless HDMI transmitter, and that’s different than a screen sharing or streaming solution.

2) What’s your budget for establishing a wireless streaming device and setup in your organization?

With a cabled connection, you get an instant picture with no delay, but it also comes with connectivity challenges and less control. A wireless solution is not just freeing yourself of cable-clutter and gaining easy connectivity from several devices. It comes with better overview, cloud management and access to digital signage.

If you do decide on a wireless streaming device, the primary functional device is rarely the only cost. What about all the other rooms where a wireless streaming solution is necessary? For many products on the market, installation and maintenance costs are high. Add to that monthly subscriptions on applications, rag mounts, antennas and trays, and you could still have a long way to go.

If you’re a school with a tight budget or any organization looking to keep costs down, you need a single-pay, full-service solution like Airtame.

3) Which devices do I want to stream from?

Are you a home user with a passion for sleek Apple products? Or do you prefer your trusty Windows and Android devices? If you know for certain that you’d only use one platform, you can safely choose a wireless streaming device that’s designed for your specific platform.

It’s not applicable to every situation though. Home use devices with software designed specifically for certain hardware types, like Chromecast or AppleTV, are not recommendable for usage in a business environment.

In an environment with multiple hardware devices, you need a platform-agnostic third-party solution that can cater to all sorts of devices and connectivities.

At school or work, people are probably using a mix of different devices. In this case, you need a cross-platform solution. That is, a solution that works across different devices, like Mac, Windows, Linux, Chromebook, and yes, even iOS and Android.

Most professional-grade wireless devices offer support for Mac, Windows, and iOS and Android. Airtame, however, is the only solution that offers support for Linux and Chromebooks, so everyone in your office or school is taken care of.

You should also ask yourself if you want to stream from multiple devices to your TV screen or projector, or if you need to stream from one computer to multiple screens.

4) What display hardware are you using?

At this point in time, all wireless streaming products available on the market are made for use on displays. But there are slight differences to the products you might need to consider, depending on the type of display hardware you’re using.

What is it you need to stream to? A TV, a projector, a touchscreen whiteboard? Keep in mind that some streaming devices do not easily mount in tight spaces. And some devices are too heavy to hang from the ceilings.

For projectors or TVs with little space around them, you’ll need to look into a smaller sized device that can easily fit into a projector’s cable tray or between the minimal space between the TV and wall. If you’re using a touchscreen whiteboard, you probably need something small as well that can move around with the whiteboard wherever you roll it.

Just because you have a touchscreen, doesn’t mean you intend to use its functions. If you do, you’ll need something that also enables touchscreen functions. There are ways to work around it, though. Those functions could also be implemented by drawing on, say, an iPad, which then streams content directly to your screen.

5) What content do you want to show via your wireless streaming device?

What kind of content is it you want to show on the TV or projector on a daily basis? Do you mainly need to show still images or do you need dynamic pictures as well, even real-time footage? Do you want audio to be included? There are so many questions to consider when looking for a wireless streaming device, especially with what it is you want to present.

The source of the information is also an important factor, so think about where your content comes from. If you’re showing content directly from the internet, for example, movies, Chromecast could be a good choice for you.

If you’re like most people in an office or school, your resource code doesn’t reside on the internet, it comes from your laptop. Odds are that you need to share your work directly from your favorite applications, like Excel, PowerPoint, Invision, or maybe even your company’s or school’s website.

Streaming from mobile devices is a limited experience in general. Get the full experience by screen mirroring content from your laptop.

6) Who will be using the wireless streaming device?

Different users are sure to have different needs and expectations for their streaming device. We like to put users into three categories; employees, customers and guests.

1. The employees are the ones in control of the content being shown. It could be teachers, IT admins or any administrator that monitors displays or updates content. If one set of employees or teachers are using the streaming device exclusively, you likely don’t need an open solution.
2. The customers are the ones not directly involved with or unable to manipulate content. That’s students at an educational institution, the audience of a presentation or travelers in airports looking at digital signage. Although they cannot manipulate content, they still benefit from it.
3. The guests are probably one-time users. Any guest or visitor should be able to stream without any prior training because you want their experience to be smooth and easy. For that to happen, you need a device that can accommodate a guest network for external use for when visitors drop by.

Your network environment and maintenance

7) Is your environment ready for a wireless streaming device?

Wireless streaming is undeniably convenient and saves time and effort in your daily work life. A factor to take into account is the extra load that wireless streaming will put on your WiFi network. Poor and slow WiFi will, of course, result in a disappointing streaming experience.

Aside from doing your part to improve your network, you should also look for a wireless streaming device that has flexible network integration options. Most professional solutions offer an Ethernet connection option, which is very useful. Using an Ethernet connection offers extra stability since you eliminate the risk of straining your WiFi and losing streaming quality.

8) How many rooms and screens are you equipping?

This questions is centered around maintenance rather than budget. For budget, see #2.

Looking at your rooms and screens is closely tied to the content you want to show (##5). For internal digital signage such as info screens, custom background and static KPIs, Airtame is great. For external digital signage such as video content, slides and animations, you need something a little more powerful.

If you are looking for a scalable solution that you can put in all the rooms in your building or campus, you’re going to want a solution that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, and can also easily be managed remotely. You should also consider what kind of screens you’re using.

For an auditorium, you need a device that supports high-resolution images because of the giant screen. Airtame 2 does not (yet) provide 4K resolution, but ClickShare does.

For a conference room, you might want a solution with Skype or other types of video conferencing integrated. You can get around this by projecting your laptop screen with Skype on it via Airtame 2.

In meeting rooms, you likely have many internal users, so external reach-outs like Skype calls are not that important.

An all-in-one management tool gives you a central point for monitoring and updating your devices, and you don’t get that with all products. Airtame offers a cloud-based platform where you can manage all devices from your computer.

9) How are people connected to your existing network? (authentication method, users split on different VLANs etc?)

This question starts getting a bit more technical, but for those of you who administrate your company or school’s network, it’s an important one. It goes back to the previous question about three different kinds of users, because each user will be on a different part of the network.

You will need to make sure that everyone on your network (or networks if you have more than one) can use the streaming device easily without having to switch WiFi networks.

10) How will you physically be integrating the solution?

While it’s nice to connect directly via WiFi, that can cause some problems in certain cases, because WiFi signals sometimes lose data because of interference.

The possibility of hardwiring your device via an Ethernet adaptor gives you more stability and better transfer speed. That’s because wireless data transmitting takes more time since signals are transferred in the air.

Having a cabled connection also maximizes security, which is good for research environments or bank or other high-security environments.

There are several power solutions to consider too. Will your device need an AC Power Adapter plugged into a wall outlet, or are you good to go via the USB port on your TV? If there are no wall outlets near the installment of your device, you should check if it supports other power options.

Some wireless streaming devices support a one-cable power solution, called a Power-Over-Ethernet (PoE). It’s an adapter capable of splitting power and ethernet enables you to power your device and provide the best network connection from the same cable.

Purchase and installation

11) Who will be managing and maintaining the equipment?

Some devices are a lot easier to set up than others, and some even require a third party certified installer.

With Airtame 2, you don’t need any previous training, meaning you could cut out the middleman controlling installment and maintenance. Instructions are simple and intuitive, with support via email, phone or chat always ready if you need it. Unlike other products, it’s a simple plug-and-play solution, meaning you don’t have to bring out the power tools.

If you have an on-ground janitor who takes care of physical improvements, you are less likely to select a cloud solution that can be managed remotely. Having a cloud platform could save you time, however, which is the best solution if you have an IT admin who could even be located off-site.

12) What’s the best time to install a wireless streaming device in your organization?

Think of regular, physical developments in your organization. They require the staff to be out of office, right? How about installing or updating equipment at a school? Always best to do when the students are on holiday.

Installing an Airtame 2 takes only a few minutes and no prior training is needed, meaning you can set it up any time you choose.

If you’re worried that the wireless streaming device you’re considering will not live up to your ever-changing needs after a while, remember that just as any organization changes, Airtame does too. It’s a constant evolution of firmware/software, and a product that develops over time. Our goal is be one step ahead of demands so you don’t have to ask us to keep up.

Ready to take a wireless streaming device for a spin? Why not Airtame 2? Check out our pricing model or set up a demo with one of our specialists today.

The post 12 questions to ask yourself before buying a wireless streaming device appeared first on Airtame.

It’s a milestone that makes us proud because of the struggles we’ve been through to get us here. Every milestone before this and like this is built on multiple failures. Our ability and determination to turn these failures into learning experiences are what made us go from being a small startup idea to a successful, still learning and growing, streaming solution company.

I want to walk through some different milestones that have helped us better ourselves and eventually get to where we are now:

Milestone 1: Crowdfunding

Our first milestone was the trust and support we got when we started crowdfunding. The Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign that catapulted us into the startup world was a huge success, but also came with many strings attached.

What we achieved: A record-breaking USD 1.3 million in funds. Without it, we wouldn’t have survived the initial phase of penetrating the market.

What we learned: Crowdfunding isn’t free. The number of backers was so high that we couldn’t deliver on all of our initial promises and had to change our focus accordingly. It’s helped us focus, plan and strategize more than anything, besides setting up a customer support system that actually takes care of our users and their requests.

Milestone 2: Official product launch

Following our crowdfunding campaign, we were taken aback. The sheer number of backers was astounding and meant we had to work around the clock to finish a functional product that was worth shipping to our many supporters.

Because the crowdfunding was such an unexpected success, we suddenly had to deliver much more for a pre-set delivery deadline, making it impossible to meet. Actually, we had a one year delay on delivery, a chaotic time that almost made us crumble under pressure.

When we did ship the first Airtames, the relief was overwhelming. From that intense period, we know that we can deliver, that there’s always room for improvement and that this business figuratively lights a fire under our asses that keeps us driven and hungry.

What we achieved: Shipping a functional product that embodied our wireless streaming vision (with room for improvements). Collecting valuable feedback from our supporters and setting up a system for working out major bugs.

What we learned: If we can survive the intensity of the period when we built the first working device, we can survive anything. It made us stronger, both regarding our product focus and as a team.

Milestone 3: Airtame Cloud released

Airtame Cloud entered Open Beta in October 2016. We removed the Beta training wheels in March 2017. Airtame Cloud gives our users a world of new opportunities besides ‘just’ streaming.

For instance, users are now able to bulk edit and update their devices, set up a variety of digital signage options and align screens both vertically and horizontally. We’ve also recently released Homescreen Apps, a bunch of integrations that will make the daily use of Airtames more straightforward. Lots more still to come here, so we need to make sure we stay focused, meet regular and showcase our updates.

What we achieved: Making a product that is scalable to manage and roll out because it’s easy to monitor devices, perform bulk updates and update content from the Cloud. It’s critical if you want to achieve enterprise success. A cloud-based platform also allows us to ship valuable functionality to customers very fast.

What we learned: With the Airtame Cloud, it’s really only our imagination that sets the boundaries for what can be built into our product.

Milestone 4: Double revenue and expansion

Milestones wouldn’t be a thing if it weren’t for the goals we’ve set for ourselves. One of the biggest goals last year (2017) was the mission to double our revenue and expand the business.

In July 2017, we opened a US branch in Brooklyn, New York. The new personnel and new marketing strategy allowed us to reach the goal of doubling our revenue in 2017. That’s why it’s so important to choose the right members for the team and involve key players in hiring and training so newcomers are learning from practice instead of theory.

What we achieved: We’ve grown from four original founders to 90+ people; from one crazy idea to a respected company.

What we learned: You have to apprehend growth carefully. You can’t expect to grow and increase cash flow just because you increase the number of employees. Growth is about the company culture first and foremost, strict marketing goals second.

Having a company-wide strategy is one of our biggest strengths. It means that everyone is on the same page and each individual is expected to manage themselves properly.

So, what’s next?

Good ideas are a dime a dozen. Our success is the result of many trials and tribulations over the last four years. When I look back on all the ups and downs of our journey thus far, I’m completely overwhelmed by the process and what we have been able to achieve.

I believe it’s best to go through smaller steps that will eventually lead us to the bigger milestones instead of only going after the milestones themselves. We never sat down and said, “hey, let’s reach 100,000 shipped devices before this date”. No, we’ve worked on improving the firmware, hardware and the customer journey.

We’ve got several Homescreen Apps coming up and more signage and cloud elements. At the beginning of 2019, our HQ in Copenhagen will also move to a spacious new place to call home, which will make team efforts smoother and further expansion easier.

100,000 devices shipped isn’t just a milestone. It’s a validation of us as a company and as a product, that we’re still on the right path and making something our users need.

No one said the journey was easy, but one thing it is? Worth it! I look forward to reaching the next milestones with you.

The post Wow, we’ve shipped 100,000 devices! appeared first on Airtame.

Airtame 2 is a platform-agnostic wireless HDMI solution. It works great for your daily meeting room setups. Besides that, you have the option of showing custom content and digital signage from app integrations such as Trello, Unsplash, Google Slides and World Clock.

The right tools can take the hassle away from meeting room equipment troubles and digital signage problems. That’s what Airtame 2 does. Have a look at these arguments why Airtame 2 increases productivity and simplifies office routines.

Once you’ve convinced your boss, let’s talk!

1. Unlock better meetings

37% of employee time is spent in meetings, and a great deal of that time is taken up by figuring out equipment and connections. Meeting room equipment shouldn’t take focus away from productivity, yet that’s often the case.

Having Airtame 2 in meeting room environments helps bring focus and concentration. Just connect Airtame 2 to your screen, download the Airtame app and you’re ready to go. It’s easy to configure and customize, and it looks great sitting idle too. It gives the workplace better flow without the inconvenience of regular setups.

Forget spinning monitors around so others can see the screen. Forget hooking up cables and other devices, and tripping over and breaking them. Forget worrying about what hardware visitors or team members from outside the office utilize – Airtame 2 works with all.

2. Low cost

In many businesses, buying new and fancy tech equipment is an action of rarity, one that comes with a tight budget. Airtame 2 is cheaper than most competitors with a starting price of only $499 but offers the same or more features. Check out some of the comparison articles we’ve written about similar products versus Airtame 2. Minimize costs without having to settle.

3. No nonsense, risk-free 30-day trial policy

Don’t hesitate to buy Airtame 2 if you’re still unsure it’s the right fit for your business. If you end up not liking it after the 30-day trial period, you can return it for whatever reason. We provide a full cash refund or free replacements in the case of damaged or faulty items.

The reason for providing a no nonsense 30-day trial is that we want you to test the product and the features we offer to make sure you’re making the right decision that suits your needs.

4. Custom digital signage

There are several advantages to digital signage. Influence customers, potential customers, and co-workers. We understand the value of employees being updated with the latest information and knowledge.

With the latest firmware update, we offer app integrations that will help your business get the most out of screens when no one is streaming to them. Currently, Airtame supports team collaboration tool Trello, beautiful imagery by Unsplash, presentational slides with Google Slides and an overview of current local times with World Clock.

Welcome guests with the perfect message and place information where visiting customers are sure to notice it. Changing it is easy and can be done remotely.

5. Always-on support

Time is money. So goes the old saying, and we know it to be true. We value your time, and that’s why we have immediate support via email, chat or call anytime you need it.

Problems before a meeting? Our current answer rate is within three minutes, so even emergencies in the here and now can be solved quickly, meaning you can get on with your business.

6. Reduce support tickets by 80%

Because Airtame 2 is simple to set up and use, your tech support department will no longer drown in support tickets. It’s easy to update and manage devices from the cloud, even if you’re not on site.

In fact, the number of support tickets can be reduced significantly after deploying Airtame. When Lake Superior College added Airtame to their classrooms, IT admins noticed that they now have 75-80% fewer support tickets.

7. Simple overview

Airtame is a wireless HDMI solution with many management options that come in handy at any office. Whether you have one or many screens, using Airtame 2 sets a strong precedent for solid overviews and maintenance with the Airtame Cloud. Display exactly the kind of content you want and change it whenever.

8. Cut the cables

We spend so much time and effort making our meeting rooms look smart and nice, only to go spoil it with ugly mounds of connection cables left on the table. It leaves you a bad impression on external guests, and frustrates colleagues.

Fortunately, this is where Airtame 2 really steps up. No more cables! You don’t have to detangle a bunch of input cables trying to find the right one to fit your laptop, and there’s no “extra” device needed. Just connect to Airtame via the app, and you’re all set. The app also allows for easy access when guests are visiting.

9. Ease of use in any business

We designed Airtame 2 to take away some of the chaos in a hectic work environment. It’s up and running in just a few minutes with instructions on how to use it right there on the screen. Our solution even comes with personalized on-screen instructions in almost every language.

It’s simple to use and reliable in all situations, and your staff doesn’t have to be tech-savvy individuals or part of the IT department to know how it works. It’s as easy and intuitive as flicking on a light switch.

Go for equipment that works simply, yet effectively. Go for a stable, supportive environment for entrepreneurs. Go for seamless integration and an overall improved experience at work.

Are you ready to buy Airtame 2? Check our pricing model here or book a demo today to get started. We look forward to having you onboard.

The post How to convince your boss that you need to buy Airtame for your workplace appeared first on Airtame.

In the beginning, startups come with no set identity, no legacy or predetermined understanding of what the company is. Airtame started as a 4-man mission in 2014. Since then, we’ve grown both in manpower, size and capacity.

We are now over 80 people across several offices in different countries, we employ people from all nationalities and backgrounds, and in all of that, we try to maintain the mindset we started out with.

We’re acutely aware that some of the adaptability gets lost if the company culture isn’t built to withstand the transition from small startup to scale-up and beyond. In essence, we should never forget where we came from to stay on the right path. That’s why we keep these core values in mind as we go forward.

Care deeply for the people you bring onboard

The cultural fit is and will always be the defining factor when bringing new people onboard. We would rather cultivate a particular set of skills than try to establish the right, cultural fit after employment. But recruitment is one thing, maintaining and developing talents is another.

We’ve developed a rigorous onboarding process that ensures all employees are aligned around a unified set of goals and company culture values.

New employees are encouraged to draft out their job descriptions and tasks for the job, and that creates a certain sense of autonomy from the very beginning.

Part of our onboarding process includes mandatory customer success training as well as a thorough technical walkthrough of the product.

It ensures a general understanding of where we come from, the challenges that lie ahead and what we should focus on to reach our goals.

But besides a practical upside, it helps employees understand other areas of expertise and knowledge they may then apply or rely on. Should their knowledge not suffice, team members know that there are other employees ready to aid them.

Over-invest in relationships

What does “over-invest in relationships” mean? In short, it means that Airtame cares. You often hear that startups see themselves as “one big family”. We aren’t that. We consider ourselves a sports team. The best sports teams in the world have warmth between them, but focus on performance and winning together.

Families fight. We don’t have time for that.

Having well-established relationships with the team allows for better relationship-building with customers. Every employee is encouraged to take time out and chat with customers that might be having troubleshooting issues, or potential customers that want to figure out if Airtame is right for them. We wouldn’t be able to do this so effectively if it weren’t for the open and supportive approach we build our internal team on.

If you care about your colleagues (and your customers), you are more inclined to listen, cooperate, and say the truth. We always want the whole truth, because, without it, we can’t succeed.

We’re incredibly focused on building strong relationships, both internally and externally. Transparency is a vital part of any startup, and something we rely on daily. Even more so though, we rely on trust.

We need to trust that we can depend on each other internally and get the right work done, meaning in turn that customers can trust that we will support them and provide them with the product they need. If the communicative barrier is small or non-existing, providing an open flow of information, trust and transparency become easy.

We rely on a flexible organizational structure that allows ideas to move freely across teams. It’s crucial to productivity, but also for keeping everyone in the loop. Bi-weekly all-hands meetings, team meetings, and revenue reviews ensure no one is kept in the dark about the product, mission, and position of growth.

No information should get lost, but ideas and suggestions shouldn’t either. The open forums encourage everyone to make suggestions on how we can improve. It heightens a sense of trust, and with trust comes more creative thinking and positivity.

Focus on the outcome and not time spent

Top talent won’t stay for long if working conditions aren’t to their liking. We offer fluid work hours and remote working, and we set aside time for hobby projects. Overall, we spent a lot of time and engagement on socializing. We host hackathons once per quarter and encourage time spent on other things not company-related.

We also arrange a workathon every year in a different (preferably sunny) location for a change of scenery and the chance to bring everyone together.

We currently have people permanently located in 8 places all over the world. The different time zones and perspectives help drive our global focus and keep us on our toes with development work.

Work should be inspiring, both regarding internal projects and creative freedom. If we’re missing anything, each employee is encouraged to speak their mind and pitch a new way of working together.

To optimize our working environment, we are in the process of reconsidering our whole employee package and ask upon the wider team for input on what we can do to better their experience working at Airtame, and continued loyalty.

Be ambitious without sacrificing the culture

We want to maximize growth, but only as long as our culture can withstand it. The obvious objective for us is to continue to sell more Airtame solutions, but for us, success is not only measured by the number of products sold. We set aggressive growth goals, but only if we can use it to drive employees.

Last year, we doubled our revenue, and our strategy for 2018 is to do the same. It will be tough to accomplish, but that sets the bar high for our ambitions and keeps the team motivated. We never lose sight of the cultural fit to keep churn rate low and ensure that the company culture is still able to absorb new team members.

There is no correct answer to how fast-scaling startups stay nimble and agile while staying true to their roots and company culture. We find that staying open to change, and helping shape it, keeps us prepared for the challenges ahead.

Where to next? Discover how we establish our unique “customer success” approach. If you’re interested in joining the team then let us know – we’re hiring!

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