If you are a digital nomad, or an ex-pat, you’ve probably heard of Teleport. To sum it up in their own words, they “build software for startup people on the move”. For those who move with their families around the globe, who know how complex these moves can be, Teleport is a lifesaver. Figuring out where to stay, what to expect, where to pay taxes or which visa to get, it’s their mission to make it all easier for you.
So when they wanted to talk to us about our experiences as a nomad company, we welcomed the opportunity to contribute the lessons and ideas we’ve picked up along the way. Here’s a peak at the interview:
On the core idea behind Startup Diaries:
“Startup Diaries was started in effort to explore the future of the Nomad Company, to understand how people can balance growth and freedom from location. When I first started Helpando.it after leaving a very lucrative yet time consuming position with a top global startup, I knew that I wanted to push my boundaries further. I wanted to see how far I could take the idea of a “company” in a connected, global economy…It’s a project we started to document our travels, struggles, and conversations with people who are also redefining how we work.”
On the difference between Nomad Companies and Digital Nomads:
“The biggest difference is the long term vision. The most common digital nomad story is “pay to play”, work to make just enough money to be able to pay for the next day, week or leg of the journey. There are careerists, those who take it seriously and maintain a long term pipeline. But it’s exceedingly rare for the freelancing nomad to actively pursue growth, right? As a Nomad Company, though saying we work 9-5 would be a misnomer, we have meetings (easy when you’re driving around all the time), structure and most importantly, a cohesive focus on the growth of the company and brand.”
On our favorite locations around South America:
“Lima has been my favourite city with the very bohemian Barrio Barranco sticking out in my mind as one of my favorite places to be.
In general, the food was most amazing in Peru. Not only was it exceptionally cheap, but the ingredients were incredibly fresh and varied, including but nowhere near limited to fish, ceviches, llama, fruit straight from trees, and more.
Patagonian Chile cannot be beat for landscapes with lakes, volcanos, peaks and waterfalls that are invariably surreal.
The coolest co-working space we found was Sinergia in Montevideo, not only for its great design and layout, but for one of the most varied and incredible concentration of ideas under one roof (think drones, 3D printers, SaaS stratups and the rest).
Crossing the desert from Chile to Peru was a great adventure. We got stuck in the sand, and slept in the car for several nights. There’s more sand out there than you would ever want to see.
Baños in Ecuador was great for activities like zip lining, jungle tours and waterfalls.”
Check out the complete interview on the Teleport blog, and while your there have a look at their platform. Even if you aren’t thinking about moving. It might just inspire you.
