COMPANY PLAYBOOK

Automattic

Automattic supports global asynchronous work with written context, outcome focus, real-work hiring and direct customer contact.

Operating system

System principles

Global flexibility improves inclusion, but social connection and shared rhythm must be designed.
Autonomy increases speed but risks scattered priorities and fragmented context.

PRACTICES

Documentation

Project context and decisions are made durable in internal blogs.

How it works: Projects and decisions live as durable, commentable posts on P2-based internal blogs.
Why it is used: Creates searchable context and equal participation instead of email chains.
Trade-off: Information can fragment across P2s and reading load can grow.
Best fit: Distributed teams with strong written communication.

Customer insight

Every new hire works support and repeats it annually.

How it works: New hires and team members periodically work in customer support.
Why it is used: Feeds product decisions with real user pain and language.
Trade-off: Takes time from specialist work and requires training for support quality.
Best fit: SaaS products where customer signal directly affects product quality.

Hiring

A paid project is run with candidates before a full-time offer.

How it works: Before a full-time offer, candidates complete a paid contract project lasting roughly two to six weeks.
Why it is used: Produces signals about real collaboration, writing and self-management.
Trade-off: The process is long and may exclude candidates with existing jobs.
Best fit: Roles where remote work can be tested through a work sample.

Remote

Daily distributed work is complemented by periodic team meetups.

How it works: Daily distributed work is complemented by periodic team meetups and social communication rituals.
Why it is used: Strengthens trust and tacit relational bonds.
Trade-off: Creates travel cost, accessibility and participation-equity challenges.
Best fit: Long-running remote teams that need relational capital.