Prezi's Remote Journey: Connecting Product & Culture

We've all heard about product-led growth, but what about product-led culture? Prezi has done just that, rapidly adapting to a remote-first environment during the pandemic and thriving ever since. Known primarily as a presentation tool, Prezi, under the leadership of CEO Jim Szafranski, was quietly developing Prezi Video as a “hobby project” in 2019. When the pandemic hit, they quickly applied their learnings to their products, creating a virtuous cycle where Prezi’s products and culture elevate one another.

Product or Culture - Prezi’s Chicken and the Egg

It didn’t take long for Prezi to realize that remote work is here to stay, along with the significant challenges it had brought. The most common issue? Video meetings just weren’t engaging. Prezi surveyed 1,100 employees at enterprise accounts and found that 75% said staying focused during video meetings was their number one remote work challenge. Additionally, 42% admitted the primary reason they turned off their cameras was to multitask. The data revealed a shared sentiment: we liked working remotely, but video meetings felt uninspiring.

As the pandemic began to wind down and return-to-office rhetoric increased, Szafranski suspected that businesses might use these mandates as an excuse not to improve video meetings. The Prezi team resolved to address this problem by applying the same engaging methodology to video conferencing that they had pioneered with their original presentation product.

Prezi Video addresses these issues by allowing users to show their content on the screen next to themselves, keeping audiences personally invested and focused. It also enables viewers to react live with on-screen GIFs, emojis, and text. This innovation transformed video meetings from a passive activity to an interactive experience, keeping participants engaged and connected. Prezi Video has become a cornerstone of Prezi’s product offerings, transforming how virtual meetings and presentations are conducted. This tool allows users to bring content directly onto the screen, making meetings more interactive and engaging. Prezi Video now accounts for a third of the company's business, with millions of users and over 200,000 organizations as customers.

Embracing Asynchronous Communication

During their transition to remote work, Prezi learned firsthand about the benefits of asynchronous communication. This understanding is reflected in their product offerings. Prezi Video allows users to record presentations and share them on Teams, Slack, or social media, making it easier for teams to communicate and collaborate without needing to be online simultaneously. Their infographic and presentation tools include live update capabilities, ensuring remote teammates always have access to the latest stats and graphs.

This focus on asynchronous communication not only supports flexibility but also enhances productivity. By allowing team members to consume content at their own pace and on their own schedule, Prezi ensures that important information is absorbed without the constraints of synchronous meetings. This approach has been crucial in maintaining efficiency and engagement in a remote-first environment.

Prezi’s Remote-First Culture

Prezi operates under a virtual-first model, allowing employees to choose where they work from. While office hubs are available for those who prefer occasional in-person work, there is no mandate, and less than 20% of the workforce goes in more than a day or two a week. This flexibility is key to Prezi’s remote-first culture, empowering employees to work in environments where they feel most productive and comfortable.

In addition to their own products, Prezi uses Zoom for video calls, Jira and Atlassian for record keeping, and Slack for instant messaging. At Remotivated we jokingly call this tech stack the “vanilla latte” but we do so lovingly, these tools are classics for a reason! We’re glad Prezi was already accustomed to using all of these tools too because it allowed them to resist the temptation of building a “do it all” product. Instead Prezi Video, Presentations and Infographics integrate neatly with the slide decks, video conferencing and instant messaging tools we all use already.

Despite being distributed, employees still get together informally. Prezi’s #Stay-connected Slack channel encourages team members to snap a photo and post updates whenever meetups occur, ensuring everyone feels included. This is a great example of company values like transparency permeating even the finest details. After all, who among us hasn’t felt left out of a co-worker meetup at some point?

Transparency and inclusion are not just buzzwords at Prezi; they are integral to the company’s DNA. Weekly all-hands meetings keep everyone aligned and informed, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose. By maintaining open lines of communication and encouraging participation, Prezi ensures that every employee feels valued and connected, regardless of their location.

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More Remote-First Leaders

At Remotivated, it’s our mission to identify and celebrate the best remote companies. We also help remote companies find the best collaboration tools. Companies like Prezi that check both boxes are awesome but we work with all of the best remote first companies.

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