LineZero is a company that is comprised of security-obsessed communication and technology experts with a focus on making Meta Workplace easier. Pulse 2.0 interviewed LineZero VP of Operations Greg Sugar to learn more about the company.
Greg Sugar’s Background
Sugar is passionate about how technology impacts the human experience and the future of work. And Sugar said:
“It has been my privilege to be a trusted advisor to many Fortune 500 companies in determining their investments in technology and helping them manage the transformation and large-scale change that adopting new tools and processes brings. I developed expertise over the past 15 years in digital & IT strategy, operations, infrastructure architecture, cloud, and business process optimization while working with organizations such as PwC, Citrix, and ProServeIT. I have experience guiding global organizations within financial services, healthcare, utilities and power generation, public sector, agriculture, and retail industries.”
“Now at LineZero, I am a cross-functional leader responsible for operations, partnerships, product, and revenue growth. I believe in leading with empathy and am deeply committed to creating a culture of growth and continuous learning.”
Formation of LineZero
What is the purpose of LineZero, and how did it come about? Sugar shared:
“There was a shared vision of transforming the way organizations communicate, collaborate, and digitize culture. We saw an opportunity to, in partnership with Meta, help people find meaningful connections at work and enable people to be fully digitally visible, no matter where they are in the business, from working in the field, manufacturing, or in an office. Our focus is on creating the best possible employee experience in both traditional 2D and in fully immersive settings.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Sugar reflected:
“When I joined the company in 2020, I flew to Kansas City right before the pandemic to visit one of our customers right before they launched Workplace from Meta. We went from a planned 6-month project to trying to accomplish the same objective (connect all their people and globalize their brand internally) in only two weeks!”
“This organization needed Workplace from Meta right away to ensure their culture, productivity, and employee experience could stay strong. They traditionally were an “in-office” culture, so without a platform like Workplace, they would have really struggled to have a single powerful vehicle for their strong culture and collaboration. That project showed us all what can be accomplished when there’s a need, commitment and strong leadership from a business that is truly committed to all their people. The outcome was incredible; 98% of their people were using the platform two weeks later.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Sugar explained:
1.) Workplace from Meta: A communication and collaboration platform designed for businesses to connect their employees and improve culture, productivity, and employee experience.
2.) Quest Mixed Reality Headsets: An Extended Reality headset that allows users to experience immersive experiences at work. Some of the key use cases are Learning and Development, Design, Training, Collaboration, and Events.
3.) Quest for Business from Meta: This is the device management solution for the Quest devices that allow for these devices to be truly Enterprise ready and brings ease to deployment, scaling, and management of these Extended Reality/Spatial Computing devices.
Challenges Faced
What challenges has Sugar faced in building the company? Sugar acknowledged:
“One of the biggest challenges we face is helping our customers in a time where the innovation curve has never been steeper, and businesses are expected to do more with less. We know that our customers are looking for solutions that can help them enhance their productivity, engagement, and collaboration, and provide more compelling experiences for their people at work. They also want solutions that are adaptable, flexible, and future-proof. That is why we feel fortunate to be helping organizations adopt two of the most advanced products in the field of community and connection at work: Quest Mixed Reality Headsets and Workplace from Meta. These products enable users to experience meaningful, productive and immersive experiences at work.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Sugar cited:
“Some of the company’s most significant milestones are:
1.) Becoming Meta’s leading North American partner for Workplace from Meta
2.) Experiencing incredible growth; we have doubled in size (revenue and employee count) every year for the last 4 years.
3.) Becoming Meta’s first North American Partner to Resell Quest Devices and Quest for Business”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Sugar assessed:
“We are pursuing a large and growing market, as communication and collaboration are essential for any organization, especially in the post-pandemic world. According to a recent report, the global communication and collaboration market size reached 48.6 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $195.1 billion by 2032. We believe we have a significant opportunity to capture a sizable portion of this market, as we offer a unique and differentiated value proposition, and we cater to a wide and diverse customer base.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Sugar affirmed:
“We have several competitive advantages that set us apart from our competition. Some of them are:
1.) We have a narrow focus. We want to help organizations become great at a few specific things and by leveraging Meta’s consumer-grade technology at work. Because of this focus, we have developed deep expertise both in product and how to help organizations offer their people the best employee experience possible.
2.) Our people and culture. We have an incredible team that lives what they preach. They help organizations make culture and community a superpower, and we enjoy that benefit at work as well.
3.) The way we partner. As an organization that accomplishes all our goals through partnership, we have found some incredible partners to work with and accomplish more as a team than we can as individual organizations.
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future company goals? Sugar concluded:
“Some of our future company goals are:
1.) Continue to be the North American leader in helping organizations launch, scale, and manage all of Meta’s business-to-business offerings, including Workplace from Meta and Quest for Business.
2.) Make the employee experience for all of LineZero’s people the very best it can be so they can carry that feeling and experience to all our customers.
3.) And our vision statement: We want to continue to help the businesses we work with Unlock their Digital Future!
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Sugar concluded:
“I would like to thank you for this opportunity to share our story and what we are passionate about. I would also like to invite you and your readers to visit our website, linezero.com, and learn how we help businesses to transform their peoples’ experiences at work!”
