How Pandium Builds Connection in a Remote-First Company

At Pandium, every morning during our standup, we kick things off with something small but meaningful “Question of the Day”.

This tradition started in the early days of COVID, when our team went fully remote after working side-by-side in our Manhattan office. The energy of our New York City workspace (the coffee runs, quick hallway chats, spontaneous lunches) had always kept us close-knit. Overnight, those rituals vanished. Suddenly, we were missing the tiny moments that make a team feel like more than just coworkers.

To keep that spark alive, we introduced the “Question of the Day” as a stand-in for those everyday interactions. Years later, it’s still part of our rhythm, and remains one of the most impactful practices we’ve kept.

How does it work? 

The question is never repeated. Sometimes it’s lighthearted: “What food can’t you stand?” or “How many siblings do you have?” Other times it pushes imagination: “If you published a book, what would the title and genre be?” or “Which celebrity would you most like to meet in real life?”

At first glance, it may seem like a simple icebreaker. But for a remote-first company, it’s much more than that. It reminds us that every Slack avatar represents a real person with stories and passions beyond their job description.

Why It Works (and Why It Matters)

Remote work has endless advantages, flexibility, focus, no commute, access to a wider talent pool, the ability to design your workday around your life (not the other way around), and the list goes on. However, one of the biggest challenges is connection.

In an office, connection often happens spontaneously. Remote teams don’t get those unplanned moments. Instead, they need intentional rituals that create space for human interaction. Our “Question of the Day” is one of those rituals. Here’s why it works:

• It lowers barriers. A fun, easy question gives everyone a voice in the meeting, regardless of role or seniority.
• It creates common ground. Discovering that three coworkers dislike mushrooms or share your favorite 90s sitcom creates an instant bond.
• It sparks stories. Questions like “What was your first job?” often bring out hilarious or surprising memories that never surface in regular work conversations.
• It builds empathy. Learning that a teammate is one of six siblings or dreams of writing fantasy novels changes the way you connect with them.

These details might feel small in the moment, but together they form the foundation for stronger collaboration.

The Ripple Effect in Slack

What makes this practice so powerful is that it doesn’t end with our daily morning standup. The best questions spill into Slack, fueling conversations throughout the day. Over time, we’ve even created dedicated channels where these conversations naturally live and grow.

A morning question about pets fills #pandi-pets with memes and photos. A nostalgic prompt about childhood toys lights up #pandi-kids, where teammates laugh about old favorites, or compare notes on the toys their kids are obsessed with now. Debates often migrate to #random, where playful arguments can spiral into hours-long threads (Taylor Swift’s engagement was a particularly memorable one).

Over time, Slack stopped being just a work tool and became an extension of our community.

Other channels have grown organically too:

• #terribletv for discussing binge-worthy series (Buffy the Vampire Slayer is still a team favorite).
• #whatchu_eating for recipes and drool-worthy meal updates.
• #washyourface for makeup recommendations, whether brand-new finds or tried-and-true staples.

Small Habit, Big Impact

It’s easy to underestimate the impact of something that takes less than five minutes. But over time, the ritual adds up.

Those small windows into each other’s lives give us touchpoints to follow up on later, and inside jokes that carry through the week. They create camaraderie that make collaboration smoother and meetings less transactional.

The colleague who once felt like just an email signature suddenly becomes someone you know… the oldest of five, a fan of vintage records, or secretly working on a dream cookbook.

In a remote-first company, where you may never meet some teammates in person, this habit becomes a culture-builder. It turns “colleagues” into something closer to “community.”

How to Start Your Own Ritual

If you want to try something similar with your team, here are a few tips:

• Keep it simple. One fun, open-ended question a day is plenty.
• Mix it up. Rotate between light and imaginative prompts to keep things engaging.
• Make it inclusive. Stay away from overly personal or polarizing topics (the goal is comfort and connection).
• Extend it. Encourage ongoing conversations in Slack or Teams channels dedicated to the prompts.

Some of our best moments (the belly laughs, the surprising discoveries, the “me too!” connections) trace back to one small question at the start of the day.

And because it’s been so impactful for us, we’ve compiled our full list of “Questions of the Day” into a ready-to-use resource. Try it with your team, you might be surprised at how far one little question can carry you. Click here for the full list.