• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

With a simple tool, Waggl takes on employee feedback

Andrew Nusca
By
Andrew Nusca
Andrew Nusca
Editorial Director, Brainstorm; author, Fortune Tech
Down Arrow Button Icon
Andrew Nusca
By
Andrew Nusca
Andrew Nusca
Editorial Director, Brainstorm; author, Fortune Tech
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 11, 2014, 10:50 AM ET

FORTUNE — Samantha Zupan had only one question. The problem? She wanted more than 200 answers, and that’s where it got complicated.

The PR director for the jobs and career-focused website Glassdoor, Zupan wanted to know if the company’s quarterly all-hands meetings, which lasted more than an hour and a half and covered an array of topics important to the almost six-year-old company’s operations, were hitting home. But asking the hundreds of people who work at her Sausalito, Calif.-based company what they thought seemed like a logistical nightmare. Sure, internal communications are important, but when would she find time to sift through all of the e-mailed responses? And how many people would even respond to such a prompt in the first place?

“We were really looking for a quick solution to get a quick pulse on what was going on internally,” Zupan said. “Do we e-mail our entire company and ask for feedback and me or another colleague wade through that data? And how do we reach everyone when different teams use different platforms? For example, our sales team uses Salesforce’s Chatter, but other teams here do not.”

Frustrated, she turned to the co-founders of the Fort Hill Company, the human capital management firm, who were working on a new project, Waggl. The startup’s web-based namesake tool promised to poll large groups of employees, collate answers and use analytics to produce decision-worthy points from the mess. In short, it was exactly what Zupan was looking for.

MORE: How a quiet Boulder startup is finding ‘million-dollar Tweets’ for businesses

“For us, Waggl was a way for us to survey our entire workforce with a single question,” she said. “We got some really good stuff. The response was quick, and the analytics on the back-end — we didn’t have to read all 200 responses — were really interesting. Trends, standout comments, how many people that actually voted. It was great to be able to hone in on that one specific question.”

Michael Papay, chief executive of the three-month-old company, says his new venture is named for the particular dance that honeybees use to convey information to other members of the colony.

“We did about six months of research inside large organizations, and what we found is two issues: How do we get at information faster, and how do we create engagement?” Papay said. “You hear about CEOs walking the floor to get the truth. We heard a lot of need for something light and fast.” That is, faster than SurveyMonkey but more focused than the enterprise social software that has grown in adoption in recent years.

Enterprise communications is a $22 billion market; Papay and company believe they can capture a small slice of it. For that reason, the San Francisco Bay Area-based company is in the process of raising $1 million to $2 million in seed funding, with an expected close before May. MGM Resorts International (MGM) and Domino’s Pizza (DPZ) have signed on.

MORE: How Josh James landed $125 million in funding from his hospital bed

“Domino’s Pizza posed a question to its franchisees: What are you doing to improve load time, that is, get product in oven in three minutes or less?” Papay said. “They got 60 answers in a week — not coming out of corporate, but from the trenches. It works really well at getting information that’s typically hard to reach.”

He added: “We’ve seen three types of buyers: The executive who needs information that he doesn’t currently have access to, like a CMO; [the executive] who needs ideas and input from a broader group, like a CEO; and [the executive] who wants people to feel connected and engaged around a changing corporation.”

Papay says his product — which is free to try but costs a few thousand dollars to deploy — has enjoyed “overall engagement between 40 and 50%,” with “about 20%” who respond and answer prompts. That’s far more than the 1% to 5% response rate that a conventional survey usually enjoys.

MORE: Indiegogo raises $30 million

But what if companies just aren’t very good at asking the right questions simply? Papay says his sole focus is cutting through the layers of a larger company to help leaders make more informed decisions.

“You work through so many managers that the answers that corporate gets are so twisted and inauthentic,” he said. “We believe there’s much more opportunity to get to the honest truth.”

Even when the questions aren’t quite mission-critical.

“We’re going to be moving offices in the next quarter, so we wanted to get some creativity going,” Glassdoor’s Zupan said. “We name all our conference rooms after fake companies: Initech, Dunder Mifflin, stuff like that. So we were able to name all our new conference rooms — we moved from five to 12 — thanks to that feedback.”

About the Author
Andrew Nusca
By Andrew NuscaEditorial Director, Brainstorm; author, Fortune Tech
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Andrew Nusca is the editorial director of Brainstorm, Fortune's innovation-obsessed community and event series. He also authors Fortune Tech, Fortune’s flagship tech newsletter.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

morris
CommentaryEntrepreneurship
My startup hit $200 million ARR. But first I walked away from 2.5 million YouTube subscribers and nearly went bankrupt
By Joel MorrisMay 23, 2026
40 minutes ago
How Grab’s CTO sees the superapp’s push into physical AI and automated driving—and why he uses his competitors’ robots in the office
AITransportation
How Grab’s CTO sees the superapp’s push into physical AI and automated driving—and why he uses his competitors’ robots in the office
By Angelica AngMay 22, 2026
11 hours ago
Trump AI and crpto czar David Sacks sits next to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at a dinner table in the White House as Zuckerberg turns to Sacks and says something.
AIAmerican Politics
Tech billionaires convinced Trump to back off an AI executive order. But much of MAGA favors AI regulation
By Jeremy KahnMay 22, 2026
11 hours ago
James Daunt sits in a booksop, gesturing with both hands and smiling.
AIbooks
Barnes & Noble CEO clarifies the bookseller’s stance on AI-written books after refusing to ban them: ‘This is a straightforward rejection of AI books’
By Sasha RogelbergMay 22, 2026
13 hours ago
A photo taken during the Maroon Bells bicycle ride during Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2019 in Aspen, Colorado. (Photo: Fortune)
InnovationBrainstorm Tech
Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026 will be brilliant
By Andrew NuscaMay 22, 2026
13 hours ago
Beyond the diploma: Skills that actually get graduates hired
Future of WorkWorkplace Innovation Summit
Beyond the diploma: Skills that actually get graduates hired
By Ashley LutzMay 22, 2026
14 hours ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
2 days ago
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Success
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
3 days ago
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
3 days ago
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
Success
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
By Emma BurleighMay 22, 2026
16 hours ago
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
AI
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
By Jake AngeloMay 22, 2026
15 hours ago
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
Workplace Culture
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
By Sydney LakeMay 20, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.