Gather 1.0 Pilot Guide

Last updated: January 26, 2026

Follow this five-step guide to launch Gather 1.0 for your organization. 

1. Plan the pilot

Before launching the pilot, decide who will participate, when, and why you’re trying Gather (this will help with evaluation later).

Who to include:
Select teams that frequently collaborate, such as two engineering pods or an engineering team and a product team.

When to start:
Anytime! Just be sure to communicate expectations to your team so everyone can fully commit.

Know your ‘why’: 
Review the benefits of a virtual office and determine what you hope to improve about your team’s culture. Consider these goals as you evaluate your pilot.

2. Invite the Team

To find your invite link, open the Participants Panel (the people icon in the bottom navigation bar) and click Invite at the top. Use Invite by Link to copy a URL.

Send the invite during business hours, when you (as an Admin) can be in your Gather office to welcome people and help them settle in.

This is also a good time to share context about Gather and why you’re piloting it. Here’s an announcement template you can copy and paste: 

Hi everyone,

I’m excited to announce that this month, we’re piloting Gather: a virtual workspace where distributed teams can meet, collaborate, and work together – just like we’re in person.

Why are we doing this? 

Gather encourages short, <10-minute conversations and fewer meetings, helping everyone save time. It also restores energy and presence, letting everyone see and interact in a virtual space—talking, walking, bumping into others, or debriefing after meetings.

Pilot Details

We’ll trial Gather from [start date to end date]. At the end of the trial, I’ll send a survey for feedback.

To help us fully evaluate Gather, our ask for the team is to:

  1. Hold all internal meetings in Gather
  2. Be online in Gather throughout the day
    1. Sit at your desk when you’re not in meetings
    2. This will help others see if you’re around for quick questions
    3. There’s a “Do Not Disturb” mode you can turn on if you step away to refill coffee, go for a walk, or need to focus on something

Getting Started

  1. Download the Gather 1.0 Desktop App (For Mac or For Windows)
  2. Check your email for an invite or click here: [insert Member Invite link]
  3. Claim and decorate your personal desk
  4. Connect your calendar and install the extension (guide for Google | guide for Outlook)
  5. Move/Schedule all internal meetings in Gather (follow this guide)
  6. Read our [Onboarding Guide]* to learn more about the [Team Name] Office and our specific team expectations

*To create a customized Onboarding Guide for your organization, copy the following template in your preferred format: Google Doc, Notion Doc, Google Slide Deck

3. Work in Gather

It’s time to start using the office together. Swing by each others’ desks, hold meetings, and collaborate on projects.

Best practices to make the most of your office during the pilot:

  • Hold all regularly scheduled meetings in Gather. That includes department meetings, standups, 1:1s, all-hands, etc.
  • Keep Gather open even if you’re not talking to anyone. This helps others see who’s available for real-time collaboration.
  • Start conversations by waving. This action is a nice way to let someone know you want to talk.
  • Plan a Friday afternoon social event. Race each other in the Gather Grand Prix or pick a spot to socialize.
  • Start an open coworking session. Pick a spot in the office and send a chat message to everyone inviting others to join you.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional partners. These meetings are a great way to introduce Gather to other departments.
  • Ask your team for feedback throughout the pilot. Are there enough meeting areas? Does the seating chart make sense? Implement feedback for the best experience.

Remember: Gather is a new way of working. As your team builds the habit of collaborating in the virtual office, it’ll feel increasingly easy and natural.

4. Evaluate the pilot

To evaluate Gather, take three actions: survey your team, review your Insights Dashboard, and compile the results.

1. Survey the Team

Ask these five questions to measure productivity, engagement, connectedness, and general sentiment about Gather. For the first four statements, use a Linear Scale of 1-5, with 1 meaning ‘Strongly Disagree’ and 5 meaning ‘Strongly Agree’.

  1. Gather has made it easier for me to engage with coworkers when I need to.

  2. Gather has helped me feel more engaged with [company name].

  3. Gather has helped me feel more connected to my teammates. 

  4. Overall, how satisfied are you with your experience using Gather? 

  5. Why did you provide that rating? Feel free to expand on what you liked, disliked, and hope to see regarding your experience with Gather. [optional]

2. Review Your Insights Dashboard

Explore Insights to see how your team used Gather during the pilot. Look at these four charts:

  1. Weekly Active Members: The average number of people who actively used Gather each week.
  2. Number of User Conversations: The total number of conversations in your office.
  3. Median Conversation Length: If you see a small number here, that’s good – it’s a sign of quick interactions. The average conversation in Gather is 10 minutes long, compared to 52 minutes in Zoom. (Source)
  4. Conversation Length: Look at the percentage of conversations shorter than 10 minutes. This metric is another sign of rapid collaboration.

3. Combine the Data & Share Pilot Results

Review the survey feedback and Insights metrics to build your case for Gather. Pair the data with employee quotes to capture the complete picture of your pilot experience.

Use the following template to share your results:

We piloted Gather for [amount of time] with [Insights Chart - Weekly Active Members] members.

Out of [Insights Chart - Number of User Conversations] conversations, our average meeting length was only [Insights Chart - Median Conversation Length], and [Insights Chart - Conversation Length] of conversations were shorter than 10 minutes – two productivity signals that people were able to collaborate quickly.

After surveying the team, [Survey Question 1] were able to schedule fewer meetings. [Survey Question 2] felt more engaged with [Company Name], and [Survey Question 3] felt more connected to their teammates.

Overall, [Survey Question 4] of the team are satisfied with Gather. Examples of feedback:

[Survey Question 5]

  • Quote 1
  • Quote 2
  • Quote 3