Do The Woo is a WooCommerce Builder Podcast to help the Woo community build and grow their WooCommerce business. Listeners can hear other builders share their story and those who work with WooCommerce builders giving you tips and insights to help you run a successful WooCommerce business.
Recently, Ash Shaw joined Mitch Callahan on a Woo AgencyChat live stream, where he and Mitch shared their stories, strategies, wins and insights.
About the hosts
Ash leads LightSpeed Development which he founded in South Africa in 2003. LightSpeed currently is focusing on WooCommerce diversifying from the Tourism Industry.
Mitch is a co-founder of SauCal in 2011, originally from Canada and now based in Lisbon. SauCal specialises in delivering top-tier WordPress solutions to enterprises.
They both met Belgrade and Berlin and share a decentralised work policy with asynchronous schedules embracing remote work models.
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Ash and Mitch immerse into their WordPress Agencies’ work cultures, tool utilization, and community involvements.
Tools and Workflow
LightSpeed has been utilising Asana’s free version since 2012 for project and task management. Slack, another integral tool, aids in communication, although its message limit has led the team to task update in Asana. Additionally, Figma and Dev mode are used to facilitate design collaboration and approval. Ash’s Open Source Product Development has found an ally in GitHub.
Whereas SauCal uses Hub Staff, the potential of AI and training it to retrieve historical data within Slack is being thoroughly explored. Mitch reveals SauCal’s approach to optimization through value stream mapping, where the entire operational process is visualised to identify areas of improvement and automation.
On this front Ash is now inquiring in Notion for handling information generated through asynchronous discussions.
The concept of “digital elitism” focusing on information organization and structuring, is introduced by Mitch. This stems from his efforts to combat information overload by maintaining a clean inbox and effective task assignment methods.
Ash’s journey towards chaos order is inspired by “Getting Things Done” by David Allen. Adopting the book’s framework, he introduced a two-minute rule and weekly reviews system empowering his team’s decision-making process. The agency’s use of Harvest and Forecast apps assists in time management and projecting future tasks, combined with mandatory Stand-Up morning meetings to discuss daily topics and tasks to be done.
Community and Team Building
The WordPress community’s significance is celebrated by both founders. Ash highlights the influence of WordCamps, emphasising the Word Summit where he managed connections with core developers of WordPress. The birth of ideas and strategies for the agency’s growth has been deeply influenced by these interactions.
Mitch underscores the importance of WordPress Meetups for networking and relationship building, transcending technical discussions to form personal connections. The mention of Enterprise Events and WordPress’ evolution into enterprise solutions signifies the platform’s growth.
Both agencies prioritise team building and education. LightSpeed’s annual retreat fosters face-to-face interactions, guided by experiences from other companies at WordCamps. SauCal follows a similar path, blending strategic planning and fun in their SauCal Experience.
Education through courses, seminars, and workshops further contributes to team growth. React courses and spaced seminars with continuous documentation provide avenues for skill elevation and knowledge transfer.
LightSpeed’s Beaverlac camp trip epitomises a work-free environment fostering strong team relationships. SauCal mirrors this sentiment, emphasising the importance of a relaxed environment.
Embracing Challenges and Adapting
Challenges faced by the agencies, particularly LightSpeed’s adjustment due to the tourism industry downturn, are acknowledged. Ash reveals the shift towards WooCommerce and block theme development as a response to the changing landscape.
The evolution of WooCommerce is a focal point. Mitch observes two divergent trajectories: one catering to smaller businesses with WooCommerce Express and the other empowering power players with a robust internet presence. Both highlight the importance of user-friendliness and standardisation.
Conclusion
Ash & Mitch conclude with gratitude for Bob’s podcast, praising its consistency and insightful content.
