Inside Katmai: A Virtual Office That Brings Remote Workers Together
An Interview with James, Director of Brand, Creative & Community at Katmai
Watch the interview below or read on for an AI-generated version of the interview.
Cape Town Guy: Cool, thanks for having me at Katmai. How are you doing?
James: I’m doing great, doing great.
James: Always great to have a new face here to share the Katmai story. Do you have any specific questions or want me to dive right in?
Cape Town Guy: Maybe start by telling us a bit about yourself and what you do at Katmai.
James: Sure! My title is Director of Brand, Creative, and Community. As you’d expect in a startup, that means wearing a lot of hats. I focus mostly on branding and product marketing, but I also step in wherever I’m needed. It’s a small team and we’re all about telling the Katmai story—like I’m doing now, hopefully well!
Cape Town Guy: You’re definitely telling it well. And I saw you have a background in acting?
James: That’s right! I come from the performing arts, and actually a few of us at Katmai have creative backgrounds—music, acting, theatre. It helps a lot in this kind of environment where teamwork and communication are key.
Cape Town Guy: Very cool. So what is Katmai, and what’s the story behind its creation?
James: Katmai was born during the pandemic, as a way to bring people together when they can’t be physically in the same space. It’s a virtual office—a real-time, immersive 3D environment where people can work and connect. Right now, we’re in our virtual headquarters. If you turn your avatar around, you’ll see meetings happening.
Cape Town Guy: Oh wow, I can see them! That’s your actual team?
James: Yep, all real people—not AI, not staged. This is what we do. It’s a new kind of together, and that’s what Katmai’s all about. You and I are far apart geographically—New York and Cape Town—but here, we feel like we’re in the same room.
Cape Town Guy: Exactly! I’m sipping on coffee here in Cape Town, and it’s like we’re sharing a break.
James: Mine’s tea, but the vibe is the same!
Cape Town Guy: So how does Katmai differ from something like Google Meet or Zoom?
James: The biggest difference is that Katmai is a place. Those other tools are just video apps. Here, you enter a 3D space. We observe office hours, people are here throughout the day, and there’s a real sense of presence. In Zoom, you log into a call, then it ends and everyone disappears. At Katmai, you’re already here. You walk over to someone, like in a real office. It reduces the need for scheduled meetings because people are together.
Cape Town Guy: So if I wanted to meet someone, I’d just walk over to their office?
James: Exactly. Let me show you—pause a sec, let me check who’s around.
James: Okay, Cape Town Guy, follow me to the next office. You’ll see what I mean.
They walk into the next virtual office.
James: Hey everyone, this is Cape Town Guy. I’m showing him how things work around here.
Johnny: Hey Cape Town Guy!
Manish: Nice to meet you!
Cape Town Guy: Nice to meet you both.
James: This is how it works. No scheduling, no links. Just walk over, like you would in a real building.
Johnny: Where are you based?
Cape Town Guy: Cape Town, South Africa. It’s a bit cold today, but otherwise good!
Manish: I’ve always wanted to visit. But I’ve heard the beaches are full of great white sharks—is that true?
Cape Town Guy: Yeah, there are sharks, but some beaches have shark nets, and there are people on the mountains watching for them.
James: Just to be clear—you mean in the ocean, not sunbathing on the sand?
Cape Town Guy: Haha yes, in the ocean!
James: Alright, Cape Town Guy, let’s head back to your office.
They walk back.
James: That’s the real Katmai experience. Some people think the gamified aspect is a gimmick, but for us, it’s what makes the experience feel real.
Cape Town Guy: Do all meetings happen in these kinds of offices? Are there other environments too?
James: Absolutely. Let me show you a conference room and the patio. Follow me.
Cape Town Guy: Wow, the views are amazing!
James: I think we’re in Alaska here. And check out the big screen—we use this for large meetings. Everyone can share screens simultaneously. Great for collaboration.
Cape Town Guy: That’s awesome.
James: Now let’s step out to the patio.
They arrive on the virtual patio.
James: This is Dane. Dane, meet Cape Town Guy—he’s a social media titan I’m giving a tour.
Dane: Hey, nice to meet you. I’m a QA analyst here—I test software and make sure everything runs smoothly.
Cape Town Guy: Nice! So is this your smoke break spot?
Dane: Not exactly—I come here for peace and quiet. The office can be pretty lively.
James: That’s another unique Katmai thing—this energy, this buzz. Other platforms don’t have that.
Cape Town Guy: Totally. Thanks, Dane!
James: Let’s explore a bit more. Follow me. I’ll show you another architecture.
Cape Town Guy: Cool, let’s go.
They switch to a new environment.
James: Welcome to the Penthouse! Here’s the screening room—yep, you can watch movies. Over there’s a conference room. And I can change the location too. Want to try New York?
Cape Town Guy: Let’s do it.
James: Boom—look outside. We’re in New York now.
Cape Town Guy: This is so cool.
James: And we have dozens more options. We also do branding within spaces for clients. The space becomes yours.
Cape Town Guy: And no need for meeting invites—you just walk over.
James: Right. And we follow real-life etiquette. You can knock—or hop—at someone’s door. If they’re busy, they’ll say so.
Cape Town Guy: Yeah, I tried hopping. It’s spacebar—just like a video game.
James: Yes! That gamification is intentional. It makes this world feel real. You even noticed when you walked away, my voice got quieter? That’s spatial audio. And when you walked through me? You passed through my soul, Cape Town Guy. That’s Katmai magic.
Cape Town Guy: That’s hilarious—and true. It really does feel like being there. With Zoom, it’s like staring at a wall. Here, I can look around, interact, move.
James: Exactly. We’re not a screen of faces—we’re a living, breathing digital place.
Cape Town Guy: What’s next for Katmai? Anything exciting you can share?
James: Oh, the most exciting things I can’t share yet—they’re still cooking. But what I can say is that we’re working hard to bring more people into this experience. It’s a new concept for a lot of people, but once you’re here… you get it.
