Boost Productivity: How We Run 'Get S*** Done' Day at Our Startup

Addressing Overload and Boosting Productivity at Travelpayouts

The recent pandemic highlighted a significant challenge for our team: a consistently high workload coupled with an overwhelming influx of information. Recognizing the need for a solution, we initiated a strategic approach to improve our operational efficiency.

At Travelpayouts, our planning process unfolds in stages. We establish a yearly strategy, followed by quarterly iterations planned by individual teams. Within each quarter, we focus on two-week sprints. This methodology ensures consistent progress toward our overarching company objectives.

The Challenge of Unexpected Tasks

Despite meticulous planning, unforeseen challenges and tasks inevitably arise across all departments. Managers, for instance, often find themselves burdened with numerous meetings, which can negatively impact their individual productivity. Consequently, certain tasks may not meet deadlines and begin to accumulate.

Introducing the Getting Shit Done Day (GSDD)

To counteract these productivity roadblocks, we implemented a Getting Shit Done Day (GSDD). On this day, employees are assigned clearly defined goals and receive focused, often complex, tasks. Communication is intentionally minimized, fostering an environment of concentrated work.

While we encourage employees to limit distractions, such as social media, during GSDD, we maintain a trust-based approach and avoid excessive monitoring. The primary aim is to maximize time spent in deep work by reducing interruptions every other week.

Positive Outcomes After Two Months

Following a two-month trial of GSDD within our marketing and business development teams, we observed encouraging results. Previously lengthy projects began to reach completion more rapidly.

Furthermore, we were able to dedicate time to exploring areas that had previously been neglected. This included investigating strategies for monetizing our own website traffic through affiliate programs, refining our outreach techniques, and identifying email marketing best practices.

Specific Improvements Achieved Through GSDD

The GSDD also facilitated progress on tasks that had been consistently deferred:

• Partner Email Updates: We rebuilt the email sequence for inactive partners, a task long overdue for updates. This redesign resulted in a 17% increase in open rates and a 32% improvement in conversion rates compared to the previous version.
• Knowledge Base Enhancement: The structure of our internal knowledge base in Confluence was significantly improved, making it more accessible and user-friendly for all team members.
• Registration Source Analysis: Leveraging our robust analytics, we identified the sources responsible for 7% of new sign-ups – a task that hadn’t been prioritized previously.
• Increased Revenue: Optimization of working hours and enhanced team member efficiency led to an 8% increase in overall revenue.
• Affiliate Link Optimization: We reviewed our blog content and updated numerous service links to affiliate links, generating an additional $10,000 in revenue. These funds will be allocated to marketing initiatives and employee rewards.

Despite the inherent challenges of tackling non-routine and historically postponed tasks, our team consistently demonstrates a commitment to completion and continuous performance improvement. This dedication is highly valued within our organization.

Implementing the GSDD Process

The genesis of our GSDD initiative, like many of our advancements, stemmed from a collaborative team conversation. Initially, our collective knowledge regarding these focused workdays was limited, prompting us to initiate them as a trial run. Feedback received following the inaugural day was overwhelmingly positive from all team participants.

However, initial implementation revealed certain challenges. A primary concern with the first GSDD was inadequate planning for subsequent iterations – specifically, the ten working days between sessions – and the unintentional omission of a workday within the new schedule. Consequently, we refined our iteration planning process, explicitly factoring in the dedicated day for GSDD activities.

Furthermore, during the initial GSDD, managerial responsibilities, including ongoing phone calls, hindered productivity. To address this, a strict no-call policy has now been integrated into the GSDD framework.

It’s important to acknowledge that we are still evolving the process; communication continues during GSDDs, including stand-up meetings and demonstrations. Currently, we have completed six of these focused workdays, and have scheduled them consistently for Fridays across all teams.

The following guidelines govern our GSDD implementation:

• GSDD sessions are conducted bi-weekly.
• Tasks requiring immediate attention and urgent issues take precedence over scheduled GSDDs.
• We prioritize deep work, eliminating interruptions such as phone calls. External collaborators, like freelancers, who might cause distractions are also informed.
• Each team member proactively discusses a specific task with their manager for completion during the GSDD.

While these rules are established, we maintain a degree of flexibility. For instance, the no-call rule is generally enforced, but exceptions are permitted for critical or mandatory communications.