This is how we roll
Inspired by this post over at Litmus (via Matt), here's a run-down of what we use to run Six to Start:
- Campfire for internal IM, but we also use...
- Skype for IM to keep in touch with our external contractors. Then we bludgeon them with a blunt instrument or do the handkerchief-in-chloroform trick, bundle them in to a van and have them wake up in a Campfire internal chat
- Google Apps Standard Edition provides our calendaring, shared documents and email. This gets us: email with a good webmail client, mobile email access (though Google still haven't come up with a decent native mobile client other than a mobile web interface), IMAP and POP; shared calendaring and shared documents. That said, Google Docs is good for getting everyone working on draft documents, but we frequently - if not always - export to Word or some other program to do prettying-up before we send over to a client.
- Basecamp for all project management - keeping track of developing deals, and then opening up to our clients when we've got a commissioned project running. We don't use Writeboards, though - we use Google Docs for shared documents.
- Highrise for both CRM and the "if any of us gets hit by a bus" contingency plan - all incoming and outgoing mail goes through Highrise so we can a) keep track of what's going on and b) everyone else can keep track of what's going on. We've used Highrise to keep track of job applicants and interviews, through to contract negotiations.
- Wordpress to run this blog
- Mac OS X - everyone here - apart from James, so far - uses Apple desktops and laptops
- IKEA - what startup would be complete without the fabled new-employee IKEA desk run?
We've made one bum note, though:
- The HP LaserJet 3055 is our office printer/scanner/copier of choice - or at least, it would've been had it not inexplicably lost the ability to scan with Mac OS X 10.5. Not happy, HP. Get your act sorted out (and yes, we tried all the suggested fixes. None of them worked).