Essential Tools for Distributed Teams
The software stack that keeps remote and hybrid teams productive, connected, and sane – based on what actually works.
Abstrakt Team 
After working with hundreds of startups – many fully remote, most at least hybrid – we’ve seen which tools actually help and which just add noise. Here’s our curated list of essentials.
Communication: Less Is More
The temptation is to install every communication tool available. Don’t. Pick one for each type of communication:
Async Communication
Slack or Discord for text-based collaboration. Key tips:
- Use channels ruthlessly (no DMs for work discussions)
- Set expectations about response times
- Encourage threads to keep conversations organized
Loom for async video updates. Perfect for:
- Weekly updates that don’t need to be meetings
- Explaining complex topics visually
- Onboarding documentation
Sync Communication
Zoom or Google Meet for video calls. But here’s the thing: have fewer meetings. Every meeting should have:
- A clear agenda
- A defined end time
- Written notes afterward
Project Management: Choose One and Commit
The specific tool matters less than everyone actually using it:
Linear – Best for product teams who value speed and clean design Notion – Best for teams who need docs + tasks in one place Asana – Best for teams with complex workflows Trello – Best for visual thinkers who like kanban boards
The worst outcome is half the team using one tool and half using another. Pick one, mandate it, and stick with it.
Documentation: Your Future Self Will Thank You
Remote teams live or die by documentation. What’s obvious today is forgotten in three months.
Notion – All-in-one workspace for docs, wikis, and databases Confluence – Enterprise-grade, integrates well with Jira GitBook – Great for technical documentation
Key principle: Document decisions, not just outcomes. “We chose X because Y” is more valuable than just “We use X.”
Design Collaboration
Figma – The industry standard for a reason. Real-time collaboration, great commenting, works in browser.
Alternatives like Sketch still exist but have lost the collaboration war. If your team isn’t on Figma, they should be.
Development
Beyond the obvious (GitHub/GitLab):
Vercel or Netlify – Deploy previews for every PR (non-developers can see changes without asking) Linear or Shortcut – Issue tracking that developers actually enjoy using Tuple or Pop – Pair programming over video (way better than screen sharing)
The Glue Tools
Some tools connect everything else:
Zapier or Make – Automate repetitive tasks between tools Calendly or Cal.com – Stop the “when are you free?” dance 1Password or Bitwarden – Team password management (please don’t share passwords over Slack)
What We Don’t Recommend
Tools that often cause more problems than they solve:
- Email for internal communication: Use it for external only
- WhatsApp for work: No boundaries, no search, no organization
- Too many tools: Every new tool is cognitive overhead
The Meta-Advice
- Fewer tools, better used: Five tools used well beats fifteen used poorly
- Default to async: Meetings are expensive; written communication is searchable
- Document the tools themselves: “How we use Slack” should be a page somewhere
- Regular audits: Every quarter, ask “are we still using this?”
The goal isn’t to have the fanciest stack. It’s to have tools that disappear into the background so you can focus on actual work.
At Abstrakt, we help startups set up their tooling. Ask about our “Tech Stack Audit” sessions.