Zapier Company Culture & Values

How would you describe your company’s approach to remote-first work? What have been the greatest successes thus far and what obstacles have you overcome in building a remote team?

Zapier has operated as a fully remote company since the beginning, but our approach has evolved as the business has scaled. Today, we take a highly intentional, outcomes-driven view of remote work. Two beliefs guide us: talent is global and in-person connection becomes more important (not less!) during periods of reinvention. Rather than “hire anywhere,” we now take a more strategic approach to where we build specific capabilities while honoring our commitment that no one relocates. This gives us talent advantages while still enabling operational excellence. We’ve also refined how we bring people together. Traditional retreats have been replaced with customer-centered Summits where connection happens through co-building. And for deep, cross-functional collaboration, we run “solution sprints” — short, targeted missions sponsored by executives to drive specific outcomes. Our biggest success is proving that large-scale global teams can move quickly and stay aligned without relying on an office. The challenge has been building systems that scale with us — but standardizing how we run work (DRIs, single-page specs, metrics, timelines) has turned remote from a constraint into an advantage.

How does your team stay connected in a remote-first office? Are there specific tools you rely on to communicate and collaborate together?

Connection at Zapier isn’t left to chance. Slack functions as our virtual headquarters, where work, culture and communication all happen in the open. Channels keep teams aligned, automations streamline the operational heartbeat of the company and async updates ensure decisions never get bottlenecked by time zones. Coda is our system of record. Every project, spec, goal and decision lives there, which means context is never trapped in someone’s head or a meeting. Teams collaborate asynchronously, build shared visibility and move faster because the information architecture supports remote work rather than fighting us. Together, Slack and Coda create a balance of real-time connection and structured documentation. They’re the backbone of how an 800-person global team collaborates as one cohesive organization, without needing an office to hold us together.

How does your company build culture in a remote-first office? What specific rituals or initiatives does your team use to create a more inclusive, engaged environment?

Culture at Zapier is built through shared purpose and intentional rituals — not physical proximity. Every initiative is designed to foster inclusion across 42 countries and dozens of time zones. Our weekly all-hands alternates meeting times so everyone has equal access to live content and leadership visibility. And instead of traditional company retreats, we now host Summits where customers join us to co-build products. When teams collaborate on real outcomes, connection forms naturally. For more targeted collaboration, we rely on “solution sprints” — five to 18 person cross-functional missions with clear DRIs and executive sponsorship. These create alignment, accelerate learning and deepen relationships through meaningful work. Day-to-day culture shows up in Slack through interest communities, recognition rituals and programs like Zonut chats that pair teammates randomly for conversation. These small, consistent touch points strengthen belonging and help people build relationships outside their immediate team. By blending purposeful in-person gatherings with robust remote rituals, we’ve created a culture that’s inclusive, engaged and firmly rooted in shared ownership of our mission.