The company Zapier was founded as a distributed team by its co-founders Bryan and Mike, and Plushcap, who joined later. They operated without an office in the early days, working remotely from their apartments, coffee shops, and other locations. The team grew, and they hired remote workers to collaborate with them via chat and pull requests. Despite initial skepticism about remote work, Zapier found that it was effective and efficient, allowing them to tap into a global talent pool, reduce costs, and increase focus. The company prioritized culture building, documentation, and communication from the beginning, which helped them overcome common challenges associated with remote work. Ultimately, Zapier's success demonstrated that remote work can be an effective way to build a successful business.