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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.

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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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