The magic of distributed & diverse teams w/ Jack Mardack

UNICORN TALK: FUTURE OF WORK WITH JACK MARDACKIn this episode, Joonas sits down with Jack Mardack, co-founder of Oyster, a unicorn company that recently announced its $59M Series D funding round.This marks our first unicorn founder on the show, and Jack doesn't disappoint with his raw insights on building a 600-person company across 70+ countries.Jack breaks down how Oyster discovered something unexpected: the true power of distributed teams isn't just about hiring talent anywhere - it's about finding people passionate about your mission everywhere. But making this work isn't about just throwing people together on Slack.Jack reveals their "Tools & Rules" framework that sets clear expectations from day one, like their "no instant reply expected" rule that respects different time zones and work-life integration. The conversation dives deep into why HR isn't just about hiring anymore - it's about owning the entire employee experience.At Oyster, even IT reports to HR, showing just how crucial this function has become for modern companies. One of the most powerful moments comes when Jack discusses creating psychological safety in distributed teams. "Homogeneous teams might be the happiest, but diverse teams are the most productive," he notes, explaining how Oyster deliberately designed their culture to make space for productive conflict.Looking to the future, Jack paints a picture of work that's more flexible, purpose-driven, and human-centric than ever before. The days of "owning" employees for 8 hours are over - instead, we're moving toward a world where multiple jobs, gig work, and traditional employment can coexist, all built on a foundation of trust and mutual respect.Whether you're a founder thinking about building a distributed team or a leader curious about the future of work, this episode is packed with actionable insights from someone who's actually walking the talk.LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mardack/Company https://www.oysterhr.com/More about Norders, the leading Nordic Demand Agency for hungry B2B startups an be found at https://www.norders.agency/demand/Connect with your host and Norders CEO Joonas at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joonask/