Katmai For Admins

Set up your office and establish how your team works.

As an admin, your role is not just to configure Katmai.

It’s to set the tone for how your team will use it.

Katmai succeeds when it’s treated as an office, not a meeting tool. This guide shows you how to set it up correctly and establish the behaviors that make it work.

Start with the Right Mental Model

Before you invite anyone, align on this internally:

Katmai is the place your team goes when they need to talk or meet.

It is not:

• A place you open only for scheduled meetings
• Another link people forget to click
• A replacement for every tool your team uses

It is the shared environment your team returns to throughout the day.

Step 1: Create and Name Your Office

Your office is the default destination for collaboration.

• Give it a clear, recognizable name
• Treat it as a real place, not a project or meeting
• By default, Katmai will name it [Company Name] HQ, which you can change at any time

This name matters. It’s what people say when they need to connect:
“Let’s go to the office.”

Step 2: Set Up the Space Structure

Think in terms of how your team already works.

• Create open team areas for day-to-day presence
• Add rooms for meetings and group sessions
• Use pods or private offices for focused work and 1:1s

You don’t need to over design this.

Simple and familiar layouts work best.

Step 3: Brand the Office (Optional but Powerful)

Branding helps the space feel intentional and owned.

• Add your logo
• Apply your colors
• Create a space that feels like your company, not generic software

Teams take shared spaces more seriously when they feel like home.

Step 4: Invite Your Team (Registered Users)

Invite your team as registered users so they have ongoing access to the office.

• Use the Add Person button in the upper-left panel
• Invite by email or upload a CSV for bulk invites
• Once they accept, they have 24/7 access to the office

This is different from inviting guests.

Your team should live here.

Step 5: Explain How You’ll Use Katmai (This Is Critical)

Don’t assume people will “figure it out.”

Tell your team explicitly:

• When we need to meet, we go to the office
• We don’t send meeting links internally
• If someone is in the office, they’re reachable
• It’s okay to be present without talking

Set expectations early.

Behavior matters more than features.

Step 6: Model the Behavior Yourself

Your team will follow what you do.

• Spend time in the office
• Walk over instead of scheduling
• Use presence instead of messages
• Keep meetings inside the space

If leaders treat Katmai as the default, everyone else will too.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Treating Katmai like Zoom
• Only opening it during meetings
• Over-scheduling instead of walking over
• Not spending enough time in the office

If adoption stalls, it’s usually a behavior issue, not a product issue.

What Success Looks Like

You’ll know it’s working when:

• Meetings decrease naturally
• Questions get answered faster
• Teams gather without being told
• People feel more connected day to day

Katmai becomes the place work happens, not another tool to manage.

Need Help Rolling This Out?

If you want help setting norms, structuring the space, or introducing Katmai to your team, we’re happy to help.

You don’t have to figure this out alone.