How Pipekit scaled globally using Plane
Pipekit saved hours of time running payroll and expanded their hiring range.
Pipekit is a SaaS (software as a service) company that enables data teams to automate data processing on Kubernetes, an open-source container orchestration engine for cloud computing. The startup also maintains the Argo Workflows open-source project and provides enterprise-grade support to publicly traded companies around the world that use Argo for data processing and CI/CD (continuous integration/continuous delivery). Founded in 2020 by Caelan Urquhart and J.P. Zivalich, Pipekit is fully distributed, with fifteen team members across five continents.
CEO Caelan first came across Plane when he was researching payroll and HRIS providers that could support all of the locations for Pipekit’s team members. He says, “Since we’re distributed across the world, I was looking for a provider working in all the regions we operate in and that can adapt before we can operate in a new region. I really value that ability from Plane.”
Before finding Plane, Pipekit had been using manual processes to facilitate their global payments. Caelan says, “We started using Plane when we brought on our first international contractors; I wasn’t using anything else, [except] QuickBooks Payments or sending payments directly via international wire. I set out to find something like Plane right away, knowing that hiring globally would be part of our hiring strategy.” With Plane, Pipekit has been able to hire and pay contractors around the world with ease: “For contractor onboarding and setting up foreign contracts, Plane has been great — very seamless.”
Pipekit also uses Plane’s employer of record (EOR) service to hire in the United Kingdom. The EOR service enables Pipekit to hire and pay an employee in the UK without having to set up their own local entity, which would be an expensive and time-consuming endeavor. Though the employee onboarding process involved more steps than it does for contractors, Caelan says the “EOR is working great now.”
Since switching to Plane, Caelan has seen a positive impact on Pipekit’s metrics, especially in terms of providing, in his words, “quicker onboarding times for contractors.” He states, “Just being able to have a streamlined experience to get folks onboarded and paid quickly has been really positive. All of my team has only positive things to say about their experience with Plane.” Caelan continues, “The other impact is hours of my time saved” when it comes to running payroll. As an early-stage startup, time savings is crucial for the Pipekit team. Says Caelan, “We’re a small company, and I don’t yet have resources on the team to handle things like payments and payroll.”
Overall, Caelan recommends Plane, especially when it comes to global payments for contractors. He says, “I’m very happy with Plane, and our contractors are happy as well. I definitely recommend Plane for contractors, especially for global contractor payments. That’s an impressive product.”
