Tandem CEO and Cofounder Rajiv Ayyangar: Listen Carefully to Your Customers—but Don’t Build What They Ask For

We all know that remote work and distributed companies are a little different from the traditional office setting. There’s always a little bit of magic that’s lost when you don’t have those informal interactions at the office. But in a world that’s becoming increasingly remote and distributed, one startup is trying to replicate the feeling of being in an office. Tandem is a virtual office app that aims to bring back the serendipity of an office setting, even when the team is working remotely. Tandem CEO and co-founder Rajiv Ayyangar joined startup coach Roland Siebelink on this week’s episode of the Midstage Startup Momentum Podcast. Rajiv talked about the inspiration for Tandem and the importance of collaboration. The two also discussed how Tandem got started and the important lessons Rajiv and his co-founders have learned along the way. The advantages of having a team-first mentality when launching a startup. The best way for a startup to discover its blindspots as quickly as possible. The importance of keeping growth and convergence separated. Why it was helpful for Tandem to set company-wide OKRs earlier than other startups. Why you shouldn’t value the feedback you receive from every customer equally. The pros and cons of using your own product.