Building global teams, connections, and culture

Nick Cash from Jam City · April 17, 2025

How do you foster connection and collaboration in a remote-first world?

In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah sits down with Nick Cash, Senior Vice President & Head of Technology at Jam City, to explore the unique challenges and opportunities of leading a hybrid team across the globe. Nick shares insights into Jam City’s hub-and-spoke organizational structure, the importance of reducing friction in communication, and the value of synchronous collaboration. He also discusses strategies for empowering engineers, fostering connections across teams, and building a culture of trust and innovation in a remote-first environment.

Highlights:

  • Jam City’s hybrid approach to remote-first work and global team dynamics
  • Reducing friction with clear processes and effective communication tools
  • The importance of synchronous collaboration for solving complex problems
  • Building connections through programs like Jam City University
  • How fostering team relationships leads to better project outcomes

In this episode, we cover:

  • (00:00) - Kicking Things Off With Nick Cash
  • (04:44) – Optimizing Product Lifecycle and Team Agility
  • (08:35) – Integrating Processes with Flexibility
  • (12:34) – Fostering Occasional Team Interactions
  • (14:40) – Balancing Mentorship and Independence
  • (19:06) – Effective Team Communication Boosts Productivity
  • (22:44) – Fostering Success at Jam City
  • (25:44) – Leveraging Curiosity for Networking Success
  • (27:17) – Jam City’s Global Talent Strategy
  • (32:23) – Exploring Meetings vs. Problem-Solving Calls
  • (34:37 ) – Comparing In-Person and Virtual Collaboration Perceptions

Where to connect further: