Remote and hybrid teams don’t have the luxury of tapping a neighbor on the shoulder to ask, “Hey, where’s that doc?” Instead, they’re stuck digging through Slack threads, buried Google Docs, or—if they’re lucky—some sort of knowledge base. If you’re looking to make life less painful for your team and actually help them find stuff when they need it, a knowledge base is a must. And if you’re reading this, you’re probably eyeing Spekit as your tool.
Here’s a practical, no-fluff guide to setting up Spekit to support remote and hybrid folks: what to do, what to skip, and how to keep things from turning into yet another digital junk drawer.
Why Bother With a Knowledge Base—And Why Spekit?
Before we get into the how-to, let’s be honest: most knowledge bases are graveyards. People dump info in, nobody updates it, and everyone ignores it. But for remote and hybrid teams, a good, maintained knowledge base is non-negotiable. Otherwise, you’re just making everyone ask the same questions over Zoom.
So why use Spekit? It’s built for in-the-flow-of-work help—think pop-ups and tooltips inside the apps your team already uses. If you do it right, you’ll cut down on repetitive questions, onboarding headaches, and “where’s that link?” pings.
But—big caveat—Spekit won’t magically fix broken processes or a lack of documentation discipline. If your team ignores documentation now, plopping Spekit on top won’t fix it. You’ve gotta do the work.
Step 1: Figure Out What Your Team Actually Needs
Don’t start by dumping your company handbook into Spekit. Talk to your team. What do they get stuck on? Where are the bottlenecks? A quick survey or a few Slack polls can go a long way.
Focus on: - FAQs: What do people ask over and over? - Processes that change often (so you can keep them updated easily) - Key tools and workflows newbies struggle with
Skip for now: - Obscure policies no one reads - Old project docs (archive these elsewhere)
Pro tip: If you’re not sure what’s needed, check your team’s last month of support tickets or Slack questions.
Step 2: Map Out a Simple Structure
Spekit organizes info into “Topics” (think folders) and “Seks” (bite-sized notes). Start small. Too many categories and you’ll just recreate the mess you’re trying to fix.
A good starter structure: - Company basics (mission, org chart, HR stuff) - Tools & software (how to use core apps) - Processes (how to request PTO, submit expenses, etc.) - Sales/Customer support (scripts, troubleshooting guides)
What not to do: - Don’t mirror your org chart. People rarely look for info by department. - Don’t create a “miscellaneous” topic—it’ll become a black hole.
Pro tip: If a topic doesn’t have at least 3 seks, it probably doesn’t need to exist yet.
Step 3: Create Useful, Bite-Sized Content
This is where most knowledge bases go wrong: giant walls of text nobody reads. Spekit’s strength is short, actionable info right when someone needs it.
Keep seks short and specific.
Bad: “How to use Salesforce” (too broad).
Good: “How to log a call in Salesforce” (specific, can be read in 30 seconds).
Use screenshots, gifs, or short videos.
People process visuals faster than text. Spekit makes it easy to add these.
Write for the new person.
Assume zero context. If you’re writing instructions, actually follow them yourself—if you get confused, so will everyone else.
Don’t: - Copy-paste long policy docs (link out if needed) - Use internal jargon that new folks won’t get
Step 4: Integrate Spekit Where People Work
If your knowledge base lives on an island, nobody will use it. Spekit’s Chrome extension and in-app pop-ups are what make it useful for remote teams.
Set up the Chrome extension for your team.
This lets seks show up contextually in Salesforce, Zendesk, or whatever main tools you use.
Add contextual links and tooltips.
For example, put a Spekit tooltip next to the “Submit Expense” button in your expense app, linking to the relevant sek.
Don’t overdo it.
If there’s a popup on every button, people will just ignore them (or get annoyed).
Pro tip: Test it yourself—if you feel like you’re being bombarded, dial it back.
Step 5: Make Updates Easy (and Obvious)
Remote teams hate out-of-date info. You need a way to keep things fresh without making it a full-time job.
Assign owners for key topics.
Someone should be on the hook for updating each main topic.
Set review reminders.
Spekit lets you set review cycles. Use them—otherwise, things will get stale.
Encourage feedback.
Let people flag seks that are outdated or confusing. Make it clear you want (and will act on) suggestions.
Don’t: - Assume “set it and forget it” works. It doesn’t. - Hide who owns what—transparency prevents finger-pointing later.
Step 6: Roll It Out—Without the Eye Rolls
Don’t drop a new knowledge base on your team without warning. Remote and hybrid workers already have tool fatigue.
Do: - Announce it as a way to save everyone time, not as “yet another tool” - Give a quick demo (screen share or video) - Show how it can answer common questions—bonus points if you use real ones from your team
Don’t:
- Force everyone to add seks “for buy-in.” Quality over quantity.
- Make it mandatory reading—let people come to it when they need help
Step 7: Measure and Adjust
You can’t improve what you don’t track. Spekit gives usage analytics—see what seks get viewed, which get ignored, and where people get stuck.
Look for: - Seks nobody reads (maybe they’re not needed, or poorly titled) - High-traffic seks—are they answering the question, or are people still asking for help? - Feedback trends (are people flagging the same issues?)
Don’t: - Chase vanity metrics. If people are finding what they need and asking fewer repeat questions, you’re winning. - Be afraid to delete or rewrite stuff. Less is often more.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What Works: - Keeping info short, clear, and in context - Making updates part of someone’s job, not “everyone’s responsibility” - Using visuals and real examples
What Doesn’t: - Dumping everything you’ve got into Spekit - Relying on search alone (remote folks won’t dig forever) - Over-complicating your structure or making people click through endless menus
You Can Ignore: - Overly polished content (done is better than perfect) - Fancy integrations nobody asked for
Keep It Simple, Keep It Moving
Setting up a Spekit knowledge base isn’t rocket science—but it does take a bit of discipline. Start small, focus on real problems, and don’t try to build an encyclopedia. The best knowledge bases are living, breathing resources, not digital landfills. Make it easy for your team to find what they need, when they need it—and don’t be afraid to trim the fat as you go. Iterate, simplify, and remember: if it’s not useful, it doesn’t belong.