Going for Broke to Solve Remote Work's Problems with Erik Braund

Immersive Virtual Headquarters for Remote Teams

Many companies are stuck choosing between crowded physical offices and flat video conferencing grids. This episode explores a third way: immersive virtual headquarters that bring the energy, spontaneity, and place-based memory of an office into a remote-first world. Eric Braund, founder of Katmai, describes how these environments let teams bump into one another, have quick pop-in conversations, and solve problems without scheduling an entire meeting.

How Katmai Solves Remote Work Problems with 3D Virtual Offices

Katmai builds a bespoke 3D engine and virtual headquarters that mimic the best parts of an in-person workplace—glass offices, lounge areas, and hallways—while removing the commute and physical constraints. Rather than forcing calendar-based meetings or headset-only experiences, Katmai encourages organic interactions: walk up to a colleague, tag in another teammate across the globe, and resolve issues in minutes instead of hours of back-and-forth messaging.

Why Traditional Tools Fall Short for Distributed Teams

Eric breaks down the shortcomings of email, Slack, and traditional video conferencing. Email remains formal and transactional, Slack can spiral into misinterpreted threads, and video meetings often become calendar padding. The result is fractured context, lost culture, and too many scheduled blocks that interrupt deep work. Place-based digital spaces aim to restore context, reduce miscommunication, and give teams an intuitive sense of presence.

Startup Lessons: Bootstrapping, Funding, and Building Proof of Concept

Eric shares a personal funding arc: self-funding through cash reserves and contract work, nearly losing personal savings, and later closing institutional investment to scale. The narrative highlights the realities of building a complex product—taking time to develop a proprietary 3D engine, securing early customers, and adapting to market shifts during fundraising. Practical perseverance and clear product validation were critical.

What This Means for Your Company

For leaders looking to reduce meetings, increase spontaneous collaboration, and rebuild culture remotely, place-based virtual workspaces offer a viable alternative. Try inviting a small group into a shared virtual headquarters to test spontaneous interactions, measure reductions in scheduled meetings, and assess team engagement. Experiencing a buzzing, branded virtual office often converts skeptics into advocates because the emotional connection is immediate.

• Try a live tour: experiencing a virtual headquarters with others reveals the platform’s real value.
• Combine tools: use asynchronous messaging with virtual presence to keep work moving without overload.
• Design for place: anchor important conversations to virtual locations to strengthen memory and culture.