In this episode, Phil Freo, the VP of Product and Engineering at Close, discusses his journey from being a founding engineer to the VP of Engineering. Phil has been with Close for almost 12 years and has witnessed the company's growth firsthand. We delve into topics like retention, what mattered in the early days, and what Phil is focused on now. Tune in to gain insights into the evolution of a startup and the importance of staying committed to a company's mission. Highlights [00:00:52] Longevity at Close.  [00:06:45] The job keeps changing.  [00:08:03] Evolving skill sets.  [00:13:38] Retention and opportunity for growth. [00:15:02] Remote work and company culture.  [00:20:42] Over-documentation in remote work.  [00:23:00] VC-backed growth vs. steady growth.  [00:27:10] Progress and happiness. Guest: Phil Freo is a founding team member and VP of Product and Engineering at Close.com, a profitable SaaS CRM for startups & SMBs. Phil helped build, launch, and grow Close from the beginning and now leads the 50-person Product, Design, and Engineering org there. Previously, Phil led Product/Engineering for two years at Quizlet, building study tools that help millions of students learn, and also interned at Google. Phil spent several years in Silicon Valley before returning to Florida and focusing on scaling remote teams. Connect with Phil: https://twitter.com/philfreo https://www.linkedin.com/in/philfreo/ --- Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player. Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests? Please message me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)