In this episode, host Jake Gump sits down with John Moffatt, Head of Customer Experience at Roam, to explore how virtual offices are revolutionizing remote work culture. John shares his journey from 8 years at Yext leading IT operations to building something groundbreaking at Roam - a platform that's replacing entire tech stacks with one comprehensive solution.

Discover how Roam's "Super Bundle" replaces 8 different tools (Slack, Zoom, Calendly, Loom, and more) for just $18/month, while creating the digital office culture that remote teams have been missing. From Magic Minutes AI note-taking to drop-in availability features that recreate spontaneous office interactions, John breaks down how Roam is solving the biggest challenges in remote work.

Whether you're a startup founder, remote team leader, or just curious about the future of work, this conversation reveals practical insights on building culture, managing global teams, and leveraging AI to enhance productivity.

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Key Takeaways:

Roam replaces 8 different software tools with one platform for $18/month

The visual office map creates transparency, accountability, and culture

Magic Minutes provides AI-powered meeting summaries with ChatGPT integration

Drop-in availability recreates spontaneous office interactions

Global hiring becomes seamless with visual presence indicators

Virtual assistants democratize AI access across entire organizations

Resources Mentioned

Roam Website: roam.co

Free Trial: Available with both self-serve and white-glove onboarding

Running Remote Conference: Austin (where Jake met Howard)

Connect with John Moffatt

Company: Roam (roam.co)

Role: Head of Customer Experience

Background: 8 years at Yext, MBA from Baruch College, BA from James Madison University

Timestamps

00:00 - Welcome & Introduction

01:05 - Meet John Moffatt: From Yext to Roam

02:11 - The transition story: Why John joined Roam

03:25 - The virtual office vision: Recreating Yext's amazing culture digitally

05:16 - The problem with Slack + Zoom combinations

07:04 - Building with a trusted team: The family aspect

08:33 - The visual magic: How Joe Woodward brings Roam to life

10:07 - The Super Bundle: 8 products for the price of one

12:20 - Audio/visual quality: 99%+ satisfaction scores

13:27 - Magic Minutes: AI note-taking that lives in your inbox

16:19 - Breaking down the $18/month value proposition

17:26 - The AI revolution: Virtual assistants for everyone

19:28 - Real-world case study: Hiring talent in Dubai

21:20 - The "meeting after the meeting" problem solved

23:31 - Fun features: Emojis, game rooms, and personality shelves

26:18 - AI Inbox: The Slack killer explained

27:47 - Lobby feature: Virtual salesroom for prospects

30:42 - The future of remote business in 2025

31:26 - John's origin story: Long Island roots

32:05 - The fourth-grade robot that started it all

34:15 - Mentors who shaped the journey

37:45 - How to get started with Roam

38:48 - Final thoughts and wrap-up

Ready to transform your remote team's culture and productivity? Try Roam's free trial at roam.co and experience the future of virtual offices today!

The Remote First Innovators podcast is produced by Creative IT. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts for insights on building thriving remote organizations with practical solutions you can implement immediately.