Switchboard

This is the post that every early-stage startup dreads writing: the Switchboard platform is shutting down on Aug 26. The company is going through a significant pivot, including a restructure that resulted in a 50% layoff and will be going back into stealth mode. Since Switchboard’s launch two years ago, the team has been continuously rolling out new ways for teams to collaborate, from the room’s expansive canvas to interactive recordings. Innovators used the platform to host more productive meetings and found a better way to work asynchronously. The first year in market felt like a dream, from both user growth to an embarrassment of accolades. While this may come off sounding like a brag, it’s our last chance to recognize our team’s hard work and accomplishments including: TIME Best Invention Product Hunt #1 Product of the Day Forbes Cloud 100 Rising Star The Webby Award for Productivity & Collaboration Fast Company Most Innovative Company ? Despite all of the external validation, we struggled to find product market fit, which limited our growth. But as often happens in startups, we discovered a silver lining. Something we built along the Switchboard journey shows huge promise and is incredibly valuable in today's market. That means that Switchboard the company isn't going anywhere. Instead, we are shutting down the existing service and pivoting as quickly as possible to a new and exciting direction for the company. More to come on that soon. Thank you to everyone who rooted for a better way to work together. We still firmly believe that remote collaboration can be as good as in person and that you can move faster if you have fewer meetings. Stay tuned for what comes next.

By now we’re all used to screen sharing and recording… but do Loom and Zoom let you click directly into the files and tools shown on screen? Nope. In Switchboard, you can record a video directly from your room, while viewers can interact with what they see to follow along with your instructions, make changes—you know, get work done. Read more about interactive recording and let us know how it changes your workflows.

?? New feature alert: Because so much of what we do at work today is multi-step, multimedia, and more than what fits in a blog, we’re excited to share the new ability to publish a room in Switchboard. A published room is a way for you to share any type of content in one place, with anyone. It’s a dynamic way of bringing your content to life so people can follow along, instead of spacing it out across tabs, tools, and getting lost. Try it out and tell us what content you’d publish.

Calling all pre-Series A startups! Collaboration is a non-negotiable for early stage companies. That’s why we’re rolling out a discount to help teams organize, share, and discuss their work. You can build out spaces for: Fundraising Standups Competitive research User interviews Customer onboarding Design reviews 1:1s Incident response Client work You name it ?? More info on the program below or reach out to Rachel Brotman and she can tell you all about it!

AI this, AI that. We all have a bit of AI fatigue, but these 5 time-saving tricks tap into AI to get answers, summarize data, and generate ideas using multiple sources of data: ?? Quickly research competitors by aggregating info from multiple sources including PDFs and review sites ?? Summarize customer feedback from different data sources to prioritize roadmaps? ?? Get key insights from long reports, including PDFs, without reading the full doc?? ?? Brainstorm new features based on existing product data ?? Personalize interview questions using candidates' resumes and job descriptions Switchboard's in-room AI searches through every document, PDF, and even applications open on the canvas. Whether you're a product manager, designer, marketer or recruiter, AI can help you defy space and time. Can’t wait to hear the creative ways you put Switchboard AI to work.

Double digits! We couldn't be more excited to share that we’ve secured our 10th technology patent. Innovation is not for the faint of heart and we’re incredibly proud of the team for this official recognition. #startup #patents #teamwork

How will you spend your extra day this year? Consider using the time to give feedback to a co-worker. Our VP of Marketing Deborah Kelson worked with Flex Index to share strategies for adjusting feedback for hybrid and remote teams. If you're not familiar with The Flex Index, check it out. You can discover hybrid, remote, and full-time office policies for thousands of companies across the world.

If you have some time between meetings (and want to have more of it...), read this article I wrote for Forbes Technology Council. https://lnkd.in/giG5jBeJ

To start 2024 off on the right note, we’ve added yet another app to the product: notepad??? We noticed that people love using stickies in rooms, but that stickies aren’t always the right app for the job. Sometimes, to make real progress between meetings, you need space for longer notes, summaries, to do lists, or agendas. That’s where notepad comes in. It’s a flexible app that is great for long meeting notes, project plans, agendas, and more. Plus, you can use Switchboard AI for suggestions, summaries, and translation. Try out notepad and let us know what you think. #async #asynchronous

Need a last minute gift for your co-workers? Get your team the one thing they really want this holiday season: time. We created a website to help you formally celebrate a canceled meeting. Here's how it works: - Enter the name of the meeting you want to cancel - The site generates a custom digital un-invitation - Share the un-invitation with co-workers The cancelations have been rolling in: stand ups, check-ins, huddles and more. What meeting will you cancel to make the holidays a little happier? #giftideas #meetings #happyholidays