HybridHero founder Chris Burke joins Cam and Otis on 10x Your Team to make one blunt point: most companies are making up their hybrid work policy as they go along. He started the platform in 2018, two years before COVID, and the pandemic proved the thesis. HybridHero now runs in around 40 countries and 15 languages, with clients like Dyson, Pepsi and BMW.
Chris walks through the real problem. Property is the second biggest cost after people, yet firms rarely have a single view of how their space is actually used. He points to two clients in the same London building running opposite policies, one home-by-default and one office-by-default, as proof that nobody really knows what works. His answer is occupancy and utilisation data: one database, desks booked in seconds, badge check-in, and attendance you can view against performance.
He also covers what data cannot fix. The water cooler effect is real and hard to replicate online, mentoring needs face time, and deep-focus work often suits home. His closing line sums it up: if you have not got the data, you are guessing.
When was HybridHero founded and how big is it now?
Chris founded HybridHero in 2018, two years before COVID, which validated the idea. It now operates in around 40 countries and 15 languages, with clients including Dyson, Pepsi and BMW.
What problem does HybridHero actually solve?
Property is the second biggest cost after people, and most firms had no single view of how their space was used. HybridHero puts occupancy and utilisation into one database so decisions come from data, not guesswork.
Why is a fixed Tuesday and Thursday office policy a problem?
If everyone comes in on the same two days, the building sits mostly empty the rest of the week, so you pay for space you do not use. Staggering teams across different days spreads usage and cuts cost.
Can you save money on office space with this data?
Yes. One central London insurance firm dropped one of its four floors once usage data showed it was not needed. Chris says clients routinely cut around 18 percent of real-estate cost once they can see the numbers.
What does hybrid work cost you that data cannot fix?
The water cooler effect. Chris describes a US law firm where partners and juniors came in on different days and sat on separate floors, so juniors got almost no contact time with partners. Face to face still wins for mentoring and culture.