How Dan Norris, co-founder of WP Curve is using virtual teams to build a million dollar business
Virtual Success Show
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Episode breakdown
In this episode, we had the pleasure of interviewing the inspiring Dan Norris, serial entrepreneur and Co-Founder of WP Curve, on how he is building a million dollar business using virtual teams. This episode is jam-packed full of great insights and tips from Dan on how to engage your virtual teams for maximum success. Some of the things he touched on are:
- Why doing what you love and delegating the rest is the wrong approach if you are a true entrepreneur building a scalable business.
- Why ‘working with people’ and ‘managing people’ are two totally different skillsets.
- Why it is crucial to have your expectations clearly laid out and documented.
- How to build processes for everything so every angle of your business is systemised and your virtual team can manage it effectively.
- How to build flexibility within a structure that works for your virtual team.
If you know systems and processes are not your thing then probably you're not going to succeed.
In this episode
00:00 - Introduction
Barbara and Matt welcome listeners to the show and introduce their guest, Dan Norris, co-founder of WPCurve. Barbara explains that Dan has been an inspiration in building The Virtual Hub and managing virtual teams, which she notes is more challenging than it seems. Dan runs a global virtual team of 30 people in the Philippines while his co-founder is based in the US. The conversation begins with Barbara asking Dan to share how he started building such a large virtual team.
02:13 – Where it all started
Dan Norris shares that he launched his WPCurve service two years ago by offering unlimited small WordPress fixes for $70 a month, initially managing it with just one developer in the Philippines. Demand quickly grew, and he realized he needed to hire more people. He brought in a U.S.-based co-founder, Alex, to manage the team overseas, which made operations easier. Over two years, the business expanded to about 800–900 customers with a 40-person team across seven countries. Dan emphasizes that he wasn’t a WordPress expert or experienced in managing large teams—he relied on systems, hiring, and trial-and-error, while Alex handled hands-on team management. Early challenges included figuring out 24/7 coverage and managing a growing remote team, but Dan notes that launching quickly and solving problems as they arose allowed the business to scale successfully.
08:06 – Some of the early challenges
Dan explains that early on, building the team was relatively straightforward. He had a documented hiring process on his website for finding developers, and his existing team members referred good candidates. They used a paid trial system to filter out unsuitable hires. The real challenges came later as the team grew and client numbers increased. Once the team expanded beyond 5–10 people, they needed team leaders, and managing performance became more complex. Issues like poor performance or fraudulent behavior occasionally arose, but these were manageable with proper systems. Barbara raises a common concern about virtual teams, especially in the Philippines, regarding personal issues or drama affecting work, such as family emergencies or distractions, and asks how Dan handled that.
10:18 – Dealing with different work ethics
Dan explains that managing virtual teams involves a balance of high expectations and flexibility. He uses a strict trial process to weed out unreliable staff and expects team members to be available online and communicate via Slack. Persistent underperformance or lack of communication leads to exiting staff. At the same time, flexibility is offered for personal issues, power outages, or internet problems, with solutions like backup 3G dongles, co-working spaces, or even generators for key employees.
As the team grows to 30–40 people, systems are needed to measure performance, customer satisfaction, and task management. Financially, hiring overseas at a fraction of local salaries allows more flexibility. Dan emphasizes that challenges like time off, minor disruptions, or personal issues are manageable with the right systems and processes in place.
Barbara then asks about the importance of systems, tools, and processes, and which ones are indispensable for running a successful virtual team.
13:25 – The importance of systems, tools and processes
Dan emphasizes that systems, processes, and tools are non-negotiable for running a business or managing a team. If someone doesn’t recognize their importance, they either aren’t ready to be an entrepreneur or should step back and learn first. There’s no flexibility around this principle.
13:53 – Dan’s ‘must-have’ tools
Dan explains that managing virtual teams effectively requires clear processes and the right tools. He uses Google Docs for documenting processes, Trello for task management, Zapier for automation, and Slack for team communication. His system ensures that questions and mistakes lead to updates in the process documents rather than repeated explanations. Barbara emphasizes two key points: adopting these tools is essential, and if you dislike creating systems and processes, running virtual teams successfully will be very difficult. Dan adds that these tools are free, so there’s no excuse not to use them.
17:04 – Creating processes is NOT boring
Dan emphasizes that creating processes isn’t boring—it prevents repetitive work, which is truly tedious. He notes that training new team members on systems like Slack, Trello, and Zapier is straightforward and quick, especially with guides and simple workflows. Matt points out that while the software itself is easy to learn, the challenge lies in teaching staff to follow company-specific systems and processes.
18:35 – Train your people to use your systems, your way
Dan explains that new team members at WPCurve go through a structured onboarding process where they learn both general software like Slack, Trello, and Zapier, as well as company-specific systems. Google Docs provide clear instructions on expectations, procedures, and client management, and each new hire is paired with a team leader to guide them. They start with simple tasks before moving on to more complex client work, and advancement to senior roles depends on performance, targets, and trustworthiness. Access to client sites is carefully controlled to ensure security. Barbara and Matt highlight that this phased induction, combined with clear progression and accountability, motivates staff and builds trust, while Dan emphasizes that managing virtual teams also requires ongoing oversight and robust systems.
21:47 – Managing your staff
Dan emphasizes that the key to managing a virtual team effectively is having thorough processes for everything, from tracking performance and quality to handling underperforming staff and administrative tasks. Weekly automated reviews and clear communication channels, led by team leaders rather than co-founders, keep operations running smoothly. Barbara highlights that the main takeaways are having detailed processes, leveraging available tools, and recognizing that management is continuous—it’s never a set-and-forget task.
23:15 – Consider the costs of growing your business
Dan stresses the importance of factoring in all costs when scaling a business, including team leaders and whether they need to be local or overseas, as these decisions can significantly affect expenses. Barbara adds that planning ahead—visualizing what the company and org chart will look like in a couple of years—is crucial, rather than constantly reacting to immediate hiring needs.
24:13 – Your biggest mistake could be saying ‘Yes’
Dan emphasizes that the biggest mistake business owners make is saying “yes” to too much, which leads to complexity, excessive hiring, and unprofitability. He stresses focusing on one core offering and scaling that rather than trying to serve every possible customer need. Matt adds that the fundamentals of systems, processes, and management are the same whether a business is physical or virtual. Dan notes that a well-structured, proceduralized, and scalable business allows for less stress and work while still running effectively, contrasting it with his first, unprofitable business where he worked constantly. Barbara highlights that building scalable systems inherently requires delegation, as very few businesses can operate entirely alone.
27:29 – You should be delegating everything
Dan stresses that true delegation means handing off everything, even tasks you’re good at, because scaling a business requires that the owner stops doing the work themselves. He emphasizes that entrepreneurship is about creating systems, training teams, and building a business that runs independently, allowing you to focus on work you love. Barbara agrees, noting that if you’re not willing to invest in systems and teams, entrepreneurship isn’t for you. Dan adds humorously that if you’re better at being an employee, you should just work for someone else—or for him.
29:12 – Wrapping things up
Barbara thanks Dan for sharing insights on achieving success with virtual teams, emphasizing that many people struggle with this topic and need to hear consistent guidance. Dan highlights that mindset and learning from experts, mentors, and relevant content—like Chris Ducker, James Schramko, and The Four Hour Work Week—are key to internalizing best practices. They all agree that consistent learning and applying these lessons makes managing virtual teams much more achievable. The episode wraps up with Barbara and Matt thanking Dan and promising more insights in the next show.
