GetResponse is an email marketing platform that has over 140,000 users in 172 countries. It offers email-to-speech capabilities, audio and video recording, storage and delivery, Twitter integration, and an iPhone application. Below is a Q&A with GetResponse Founder Simon Grabowski (pictured below) about his team's use of Basecamp.
Why do you need Basecamp?
We are constantly working with developers, customer service, and marketing teams to improve our platform and create new features, integrations and enhancements. With offices in the US, Canada and Europe, we needed Basecamp to provide that “command central” for documenting product and business management tasks and multi-disciplinary projects.
It's intuitive to use and allows us to plan and track projects, assign tasks, and see what everyone is doing, easily and accurately. By keeping everything in one place, we don’t waste time forwarding documents or searching for the latest versions. On a human level, it reduces errors and brings clarity to our communications which, in turn, brings our teams closer together, even if we’re working on different continents.
Why did you choose Basecamp?
We were looking for something very intuitive and easy to use − not packed with features we didn’t need. Some solutions require a long learning curve before you can start using them. We’re a very fast-moving, high-growth company, and we simply can’t spare the time.
Before we began using Basecamp, we tested a few competitors. Most of them were overloaded with features, useless bells and whistles – trying to be “all things to all people”. We chose Basecamp because it felt familiar from the very first use; the GUI was clean and well organized, and the workflow logical and very natural.
Which features do you use the most?
As I said before, our teams need to work together on many projects but they’re on different continents and in different time zones. This made collaboration challenging to say the least. Tracking versions and getting approvals at each phase was arduous. Email is great for linear communications, but we’re matrixed. So we had problems, especially downstream, when file management and version control get more complex.
I’d say the to-do-lists, milestone and time-tracking features are the most mission critical for us though. As a leading email service provider, we need to deliver quality-tested, easy-to-use solutions on time. Basecamp gives us the ability to make our deadlines, knowing that everyone knows the role they play – that everyone plays − so we’re always on the same page. It really allows teamwork to happen.
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