Double is a company that connects busy executives with experienced remote assistants and delegation tools so you can save time and stay focused. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Double CEO and co-founder Alice Default to learn more.
Alice Default’s Background
Alice Default spent her entire career building expertise to inevitably start Double by getting deeply familiar with how people organize their time and understanding how to combat productivity blockers. Default said:
“Working at early-stage productivity startups such as Front and Sunrise (which was later acquired by Microsoft) as one of their first hires, I’ve gotten to experience rapid growth from within as these companies became ‘household names.’ Equipped with the knowledge on how to run a successful hyper-growth startup and my passion for helping people make the most of their time, I co-founded Double in 2018.”
Formation Of Double
How did the idea for Double come together? Default reflected:
“Double was founded over five years ago after seeing a consistent trend of executives working long hours to hustle solo without support other than select productivity tools, like task trackers, that only slightly helped them stay on track. I started holding interviews with various executives to better understand why people schedule and manage tasks themselves rather than have an assistant helping them. Through this initial research, I uncovered the biggest challenges executives face when hiring and delegating to an EA, especially for smaller companies like startups. As a response to these learnings, we built Double to match executives with a highly-qualified EA to get the support they need to concentrate on their work of growing their business.”
Favorite Memory
What has been Default’s favorite memory working for Double so far? Default shared:
“One of my favorite memories from working at Double was experiencing the true value of Double first-hand. After working with my Double for a few years, our trust and work bond were so strong that I felt completely comfortable passing on the reins to her while I was out on maternity leave. Upon my return months later, I came back to work with an empty email inbox and a clearly outlined schedule that didn’t feel overwhelming. Outside of my own experience utilizing Double, it’s truly incredible to hear the positive impact we’re making on individual’s lives and how our Doubles (aka EAs) have gone above and beyond to help executives manage their workload. While executive assistants might once have been seen as a luxury, it’s now a necessity as recent trends show teams are down-sizing while maintaining the same level of work. Today, we’re proud to be able to say 250,000 hours have been delegated to Double.”
Macroeconomic Climate
Has the current macroeconomic climate had any effect on the company? Default acknowledged:
“As layoffs continue to roil many industries and businesses are overrun with staffing challenges, Double offers executives an alternate path. By having a Double, employers are able to receive the support they need without having to make a commitment to hiring a full-time employee as Double offers flexibility and lessens the stress during difficult economic times.”
Core Products
What are Double’s core products and features? Default explained:
“Double matches executives with assistants that are heavily vetted. In fact, only 1% of applicants are accepted onto the platform as executive assistants. With Double, executives are able to save time without the cost of hiring, onboarding, or management. Through our matching process, we’re able to connect executives with a qualified EA that meets their needs in about 2-4 days. The Double app provides methods that make delegation and task management effortless, so executives and their assistants can quickly get into sync and stay that way.”
“Today’s startup workers and executives have dealt with bank collapses, hiring freezes, layoffs, and rampant burnout. In our current environment, we see more work being asked of smaller teams, and some executives cannot achieve their goals because of the heavy workload. At Double, we’re on a mission to eliminate toxic hustle culture in the workplace by assisting entire leadership teams, not just CEOs, to do more impactful work without increasing hours and risking burnout. When executives have a Double to lean on, they’re able to get more work done and focus on growing and expanding their business.”
Evolution Of Double’s Technology
How has Double’s technology evolved since launching? Default noted:
“At the core, Double has kept its offering the same since its initial launch: match executives with an executive assistant. Through the years, we have continued to provide our Doubles with new virtual training courses to keep them up-to-date on the best productivity solutions, as well as improving the app to make it easier for both Doubles and executives to work seamlessly and flexibly together. We also provide resources for executives, such as delegation tips, which is especially helpful for individuals utilizing an assistant for the first time. Born from user demand and feedback, we also recently announced our Double for Teams offering, which extends remote executive assistance to the grander leadership team rather than just one executive.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of Double’s most significant milestones? Default cited:
“A recent milestone moment for the company speaks to the significant need for skilled help as leaders continue to steer their companies through turbulent times. Double recently announced the launch of Double for Teams, a white-glove offering designed to outfit entire executive teams with help from vetted executive assistants. Double for Teams assists entire leadership teams, not just CEOs, to do more impactful work without increasing hours and risking burnout.”
“The newly minted offering supports Double’s clients as they navigate doing more work than ever with smaller teams and reaffirms our belief that access to high-quality help should be a standard, not a privilege. Double is currently on a trajectory of onboarding around 50 executives and teams a month. The company’s client base has grown 3x since announcing its Series A in October 2021.”
Customer Success Stories
Upon asking Default about customer success stories, she highlighted:
“Since starting Double, we’ve seen plenty of success stories from the executives who utilize our platform. One such example is Eduardo who came to Double after several unsuccessful attempts at sourcing and hiring an assistant on his own. Using Double to delegate tasks that included responding to emails, scheduling meetings, tracking potential investments, data management, and CRM management, Eduardo found himself able to concentrate on the parts of his business that were most important for him — his clients. Having a Double has even helped Eduardo in even the most unexpected ways. He’s worked to manage his energy as well as becoming self-aware of where and how his time is being spent to ultimately help him identify the tasks that he can delegate. While his Doubles have changed over the years, his experience through transitions was seamless as Doubles are diligent about handing-off information and giving each other the download without the executive’s involvement. To date, Eduardo is able to save 30 hours a month delegating tasks and focus his concentration on growing his business and network. He’s been able to prioritize his lifestyle, and thanks to Double, won’t need to concern himself with busywork and monotony.”
Funding/Revenue
Upon asking Default about the company’s funding and revenue model, Default revealed:
“Double raised $8.5 million in Series A funding in October 2021. The round was led by the Paris-based venture capital firm Daphni, which also invested in Double’s seed round. Existing investors Index Ventures and FJ Labs and new investors Teamworthy, Eurazeo, Le Fonds, and Forefront participated in the round. More than 20 current Double customers also participated, representing almost 10% of the round. This funding has brought Double’s total funds raised to $15 million. The company generates revenue through the executives and teams who use the service via its cancel-anytime subscription model.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is Double pursuing? Default assessed:
“Double targets executives at small businesses and startups, a market which comprises well over 60,000 SMBs.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates Double from its competition? Default affirmed:
“The quality that Double offers is unparalleled by any other virtual or remote assistant service. We pride ourselves on a heavily-vetted process to ensure that Doubles are of the highest caliber and can meet your needs accordingly. With a less than 1% acceptance rate, continuous training, and a wide range of expertise across all industries, we pay close attention to the needs that must be met and ensure our Doubles can adhere to the tasks. We also provide flexibility that no outstaffing agency can match by scaling hours up and down as you need, adding more Doubles when things get really busy, as well as no multi-month commitments or the like, so we’re here when you need us (or don’t!). Paying close attention to the delegation and how to allocate our Doubles is extremely top of mind as well. Once onboarding is complete, executives can typically start delegating tasks to their Doubles within 3-4 business days of signing up.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of Double’s future company goals? Default concluded:
“Some of Double’s future company goals include diversifying our target audience and products while making delegation accessible to as many people as possible, executive or not, so everyone can get time back in their days to focus on what really matters.”
