Today we talk to Jeff Robbins, musician and co-founder of Lullabot, a renowned, fully remote company specializing in web development. In 2021, Jeff developed an app called Visibox which allows musicians and other performers to control videos and other visual elements during their performances. Jeff's current band is 123 Astronaut.
Jeff shares his journey from the music industry to co-founding Lullabot, his leadership approach, the importance of core values, navigating remote work, and redefining success beyond the dollar.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
[00:56] - Dino introduces today’s guest, Jeff Robbins.
[02:38] - Jeff introduces himself, highlighting his passion for music and early involvement in web development.
[4:26] - Jeff's transition from music to focusing on web development and finding Lullabot, a successful web development company.
[06:44] - The challenges and learning experiences of managing relationships while being part of a band.
[07:38] - Jeff reflects on the vulnerability of committing and putting oneself out there in music, highlighting the importance of taking any pursuit seriously and putting in the necessary effort and dedication.
[08:54] - Jeff discusses the transferable skills from being in a band to building a company and how music's raw and emotional aspects inform his business practices.
[11:17] - Democracies or enlightened dictatorships? The leadership and group dynamics in bands and Jeff's experience in Orbit.
[11:31] - Jeff discusses his role as a reluctant leader in Orbit and the importance of making decisions that align with the vision.
[13:03] -Jeff’s vision in building and leading Lullabot.
[13:27] - “Okay, but it needs to look good on a t-shirt,” Jeff’s approach to building Lullabot, the concept of "celebrity-tising" the developers and promoting their talent, and how the music world influenced the company's culture.
[15:27] - The infection points of company growth and why Jeff sees leadership as a natural side effect of having a vision for your company and its creative direction.
[17:10] - Leadership as a side effect—driven by a vision for the company rather than vice versa.
[18:06] - Defining core values is emotional and vulnerable but crucial. Jeff explains his thoughts on a company's core values and how he and his team worked to capture Lullabot's identity and the story they were telling.
[20:50] - The core values of Lullabot and their meaning.
[24:09] - Jeff discusses the importance of making core values public, accessible, and transparent to foster fairness, honesty, and accountability within the company.
[25:33] - A REAL virtual company: Lullabot’s “remote-first” philosophy drawing inspiration from open-source projects like Drupal.
[28:48] - The different dynamics and challenges of physical presence versus remote interactions. Resources: "Remote: Office Not Required" and"It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work" by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson and Jeff’s podcast on the topic.
[31:13] - Jeff shares...
