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Balancing the Scales: The Art of Keeping a Small, Effective Support Team
Kenji Hayward runs Front's support with a deliberately small, elite team. He explains the hiring bar, the shared queue model and the rituals that prevent burnout.

with Kenji Hayward, Director of Support at Front

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50:54
Introduction
Most support leaders brag about headcount. Kenji Hayward brags about the opposite: seven years at Front, a team he keeps intentionally small, and an interview process as demanding as engineering’s.
The conversation covers Front’s collaborative shared-queue model where nobody hoards tickets, why Kenji publishes his support metrics publicly, and the rituals — daily queue sessions, mandatory fun, real career ladders — that keep a lean remote team from burning out.
What you will learn in this episode
Why a low-ego, high-talent team beats a big one — and the interview bar that builds it
How a shared queue keeps tickets moving across time zones without ownership friction
The case for publishing support metrics publicly, internally and as a sales asset
Concrete rituals that keep a remote team connected and motivated
Career paths and growth projects as the real antidote to burnout
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