How We Streamlined Our Decision-Making Process for Faster Growth

At Seoulcomix, a leading app development company based in South Korea, we have experienced continuous growth and development in both our product and team dynamics. From the outset, we faced challenges that come with a diverse, remote workforce, and our journey towards a more effective decision-making process has been crucial in accelerating our growth. This article outlines the decision-making frameworks, tools, and strategies we implemented to streamline our operations and enhance efficiency.

Initial Communication and Workflow Challenges

In the early stages of our company, our team operated remotely, consisting of Vietnamese employees working under the leadership of a Korean manager. English served as our common language, but our communication tools and workflows were disjointed. We initially relied on three separate platforms—Discord, Telegram, and Notion—each serving a distinct purpose. However, these tools were not integrated, and our team members had to check each platform independently to stay updated. This fragmentation led to inefficiencies in communication, task tracking, and collaboration, slowing down decision-making and hampering overall productivity.

Transition to Integrated Tools: Slack and Linear

Realizing the need for a more streamlined system, we decided to transition to a set of integrated tools—Slack and Linear. The decision to adopt Slack and Linear was driven by the need to centralize our communication and task management processes. These two platforms are linked, allowing for seamless ticket management between the two systems. For example, when a ticket is created in Slack, it is automatically updated in Linear, ensuring that no task or communication is overlooked. This integration significantly improved our ability to track progress, assign tasks, and make timely decisions.

Linear: Improving Task Management and Transparency

Linear became the core of our project management system, offering a clear and organized way to manage ongoing projects. Each project was given a dedicated channel, and within these channels, specific sections were designated for "triage," "issues," "projects," and "views." This structure allowed every team member to monitor their tasks and check the status of issues within each project. Additionally, tasks were clearly categorized by priority—high, medium, and low—ensuring that employees knew which tasks to prioritize. This level of transparency not only improved task management but also reduced the likelihood of tasks being missed or delayed.

Streamlining Meetings and Decision-Making

Initially, we held weekly company-wide meetings to ensure that all employees, regardless of their roles or project assignments, were aligned. These meetings provided an opportunity for everyone to connect and stay informed. However, as the company expanded, we realized that this broad approach was not always effective. To increase efficiency, we shifted to holding meetings only when necessary, and the scope of these meetings became more targeted. Now, meetings are held based on specific projects and are attended only by the relevant team members. This approach allowed us to allocate time and resources more effectively, focusing on decision-making that directly impacts the progress of active projects.

A Focus on Efficiency and Prioritization

During the course of our evolution, I personally experienced the impact of these changes while working on two projects: Mimitable and Lumiquiz.

Mimitable is a restaurant booking app, while Lumiquiz is an app focused on tracking women’s menstrual cycles. After assessing both projects, I recognized that Mimitable was more aligned with my skills and interests. After discussing it with my manager, it was decided that I would focus my efforts on Mimitable.

When I joined the Mimitable project, the app was in its final stages of development. I was tasked with entering restaurant data into the system, a responsibility that, while simple, required coordination with the development team to ensure that the process was efficient. To assist me, the tech team reworked the admin interface, making it more user-friendly, and ensured that it was mobile-friendly. This change significantly enhanced my ability to input data quickly and accurately, without encountering issues related to usability.

Overcoming Launch Challenges

When Mimitable was launched and bookings began to be received, we faced new challenges related to customer interactions and feedback. During this phase, several issues arose, and I made some mistakes along the way. However, the support I received from my manager and the team was invaluable. Despite the challenges, my manager played an active role in guiding the team through these hurdles, ensuring that we could address issues promptly and maintain progress.

In addition, my manager made several strategic decisions to boost the app’s visibility, such as launching a blog that featured the restaurants within the Mimitable system. This decision helped increase engagement and broaden the app’s reach, ultimately contributing to its success.

Conclusion: A Commitment to Continuous Improvement

Through the adoption of integrated tools like Slack and Linear, and a more structured approach to decision-making and communication, we were able to streamline our processes and accelerate our growth. These tools have not only improved task management and communication within the team but also helped create a more transparent and efficient decision-making framework.

Our approach to meetings has evolved as well, with a shift towards more targeted discussions that directly address the needs of ongoing projects. By focusing on the right tools, processes, and strategies, we have been able to optimize our workflow and make faster, more informed decisions that directly contribute to the success of our app development.

At Seoulcomix, we remain committed to continuously refining our processes and improving our decision-making to ensure that we remain agile and responsive in an ever-changing market. We are always looking for talented individuals who share our values and vision to join us as we continue to innovate and grow.