180ops is building the future of work with a people-first culture

The Finnish revenue intelligence platform company 180ops aims to hire the best people, regardless of their affiliation. Currently, half of the 180ops team operate as freelancers, while the other half are employees. What are the benefits and challenges of this unique company structure? We sat down with Oppo Nyrövaara, the CEO of 180ops, to get the answers.

What is your company structure like?

We are a small, modern, and agile startup headquartered in Helsinki. Despite our small team size, our geographical reach is broad, with team members in Finland, Spain, the UK, Germany, and the US. What's unique about 180ops is that half of our team consists of freelancers, and the other half are employees. We treat everyone equally, whether they choose to work as employees or freelancers; all are valued members of the 180ops team.

Why motivates you to treat all team members equally, regardless of their affiliation?

When we are trying to get the most seasoned professionals on board, we are of course looking for the right skill set, experience and capabilities, but we also put a huge emphasis on the personality match. Therefore, as we are very picky on these aspects, we need to be very flexible on how the people we wish to work with want to organise their work lives.

We want to offer our team members the freedom to choose how they want to structure their daily lives, because we believe it increases contribution, motivation and involvement drastically. Flexibility is needed from both sides.

In what roles do you use freelancers? How central are these roles?

We use freelancers across all functions, and anyone at 180ops can work as a freelancer if they choose. Currently, we have freelancers in development, design and branding, and also as a part of our management team.

It’s important for us to understand the personal circumstances of our team members - how much time and effort they can commit and if they are juggling other projects simultaneously. This helps us determine whether they’re more suited for a key or supporting role at that stage.

What are the challenges of this company structure?

Managing a company with employees using different employment models is undoubtedly more demanding in terms of management and administration. The overhead is greater compared to a traditional company structure.

However, with a strong foundation and a culture that supports this philosophy, it can work exceptionally well. The extra effort pays off when you're able to work with the right people who bring genuine value to the company.

How do you engage freelancers for the long term?

At 180ops, our benefits and compensation packages are designed to attract both employees and freelancers. For example, we offer a share incentive program to all team members, regardless of their affiliation. The same terms and conditions apply whether you're an employee or a freelancer. This is our way of showing that every team member is equally valuable.

How can companies inspired by your structure become more freelancer-friendly?

It all begins with a strong communication culture. Start by talking with your current employees about how they would ideally organise their work and life, then explore flexible working models based on their input. This approach shows that you prioritise their work-life balance. In a communication-driven environment and culture, people feel comfortable suggesting solutions that fit their current life situations. In return for the flexibility you provide, you gain loyalty.

180ops in a nutshell

180ops is a revenue intelligence platform that empowers B2B businesses to accelerate growth and boost profitability. Using AI-driven advanced analytics, it analyses both internal and external data to identify what to sell, to whom, when, and why. The platform uncovers cross-sales and new opportunities, boosts sales margins by targeting the most profitable customers, and reduces churn with risk analysis tools. 180ops empowers businesses to grow faster and more profitably by providing actionable insights that drive top-line revenue growth and improve sales efficiency.