Soundcloud prioritizes information flow Where do Internet users go to upload and listen to high-quality music and sound and connect with its creators? The answer is SoundCloud, the start-up music- and audio-sharing platform that Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss founded in a Berlin nightclub in 2008. In a few short years their company has grown into a highly valued resource, not only for established and aspiring musicians but also for their fans, who can connect with them on the site, and for those who enjoy listening to university lectures, comedy acts, radio shows, and arts reviews. SoundCloud currently hosts more than 135 million high-quality tracks accessed by more than 175 million users, and it employs 300 people in four different locations: Berlin (still the headquarters),

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London, New York, and San Francisco. Ljung and Wahlforss built the company culture as a collaborative and entrepreneurial environment that minimizes hierarchy and top-down management. "The aim of the organization/process is getting out of the way as much as possible for people to actually get the job done," says Wahlforss. Thus, product teams are responsible for creating their own workflows and communication flows, and product managers are charged with communicating their vision of the product to team members and ensuring that everyone takes ownership of it. "We aim to empower our employees rather than to control them," Wahlforss explains. SoundCloud's flat organization and hands-off management style depend on a healthy flow of communication within and between the company's functional groups, as well as across four different time zones. That flow is supported by a company intranet and chat platform, and by regular "All Hands" meetings that everyone is expected to attend (remotely or in person in Berlin). David Noël, in charge of the company's internal communications, chooses a theme for each meeting, and he or one of his team prepares an agenda, selects the speakers, and serves as host. Planning begins a few weeks in advance, and a run-through ensures that speakers are prepared and polished. Noël surveys all employees after every meeting, asking three brief questions: Was the meeting valuable? What did you like best? How can we improve the meeting?1 SoundCloud's All Hands meetings are so popular that some remote employees now meet for breakfast so they can participate in the Berlin event in real time rather than watch taped footage later. As you read this chapter, consider how free-flowing communication among employees can build commitment and empowerment.

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.

Managers Brief: Management in Action