Two Facebook Alums Seek a New Corporate Zen

ASANA • PROJECT-MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE • SAN FRANCISCO • 300 EMPLOYEES

A couple of years ago, Dustin Moskovitz, the co-founder and CEO of Asana, opened a meeting in a way that, at most companies, would have come across as downright passive-aggressive.

It was Road Map Week, a semi-annual event at the San Francisco company, which makes business software that helps teams collaborate on projects. During that time, all operations pause for five days of reflection, assessment, and planning. One of the many Road Map Week sessions was about the structure of future Road Map Weeks; the sales and product teams had conflicting ideas about how they should run. Moskovitz, a low-key billionaire with bushy hair and usually seen sporting a checkered shirt, kicked off the discussion by explaining exactly how he would like to see the conflict resolved. Then he excused himself and left the room. Thirty minutes later, Moskovitz was summoned. The verdict: His proposed solution