Throughout March, we’re spotlighting some of the incredible women in the Coda community; builders who are creating thoughtful systems, solving real problems, and sharing what they’ve learned along the way.
This community is full of talent, and this series is our way of celebrating the people who make it such a great place to learn and grow. From creative workflows to clever problem-solving, these members are doing exceptional work and deserve recognition.
Each spotlight is a short Q&A that gives you a glimpse into how they use Coda, what they’re building, and the people behind the docs.
First up in the series: @Kayla_Taras3!
1. What drew you to Coda, and how has your use of it changed over time?
I think it was in 2021 when I first encountered Coda via an ad on LinkedIn (likely the famous “I’m sick of this sheet” ad), which spoke to my frustrations with Excel’s limitations. I immediately signed up for Coda and started exploring one of my most frustrating use cases, a user acceptance testing document, and immediately saw the value in creating an app-like, interactive document for collaboration.
Over time, my use cases have evolved in a similar way – by identifying a problem and thinking, “how can I use Coda for this?” The biggest way my use of Coda has evolved is that I am now rolling it out across the enterprise, rather than using it as an individual, so I am finally seeing its full potentialat a wider scale.
2. What’s a doc or project you’re really proud of that you built with Coda?
Though I’ve built everything from a home cookbook to a personal LifeOS to project trackers, the one I’m most proud of has to be the one I’m still knee-deep in. I’m rolling out an enterprise-wide project intake and execution tracker using a hub-and-spoke architecture. We have a centralized document that captures the most important project information, and each team has its own tracker to log their work, prioritize it, and executeit. It’s creating an unprecedented level of visibility within our company, and it’s truly incredible that I, as an individual, have been able to create so much value through the technology Coda offers.
3. Was there a specific “aha” moment where Coda really clicked for you?
In my early days, I had set up a project hub doc, and once I started having other project managers use it, they complained about how slow it was getting, and they were having issues that I wasn’t encountering myself. It was then that I realized the best way to leverage Coda to its full potential was to create interconnected tables rather than duplicate pages and tables. Since then, my approach to setting up docs has been more methodical, and I’ve invested extra time in instructional copy in my templates, recognizing that not all of my users will “get it” right away.
4. What’s a tool, habit, or ritual that keeps you grounded when things get overwhelming?
When things are overwhelming, I try to break things down into smaller pieces. If I feel like I have too much to do, I ask myself what’s the next single thing I can do to make the rest of it easier, and I focus on that. I am always thinking about the saying, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Aside from the fact that I’d never eat an elephant, it’s just a good reminder that a problem that seems huge is only solvable when you break it down into smaller pieces.
5. When you start building something new, are you more structure-first or chaos-first?
I guess it depends on how you look at it. I don’t usually do any documentation before I start, unless it’s notes from a client on the features that need to be included in the doc - so that may sound chaotic to some people! But if I’m building for myself or have an idea, I like to just get moving, prototype it, and go from there. I always start with my base table, create subtables from it, and connect everything. Once I’ve got the foundation laid, I’ll create more columns and pages and start making things look nice. At the very end, once I understand how the thing is supposed to work, I’ll include how-tos and instructional copy.
6. What do you do outside of work that people might not expect?
I’m not sure what people would expect, but I enjoy musicals and concerts, and I’ve dabbled in improv!
7. If you could teach a 30-minute workshop or Ted Talk on anything (not work-related), what would it be?
Not work-related? I guess that rules out Coda then, huh? Okay, fine, I guess I would make it about the journey of finding yourself again after having kids - it’s something I struggled with for a long time, and I’m finally finding my way back on the other side.
8. Finish this sentence: “I build because ______.”
I love it. It’s a way for me to be creative, share my expertise, and make a difference.
A huge thank you to Kayla for opening up about her work and the ways she’s using Coda to get things done.
If you spot her around the community, say hello or jump into a conversation! She’s doing genuinely thoughtful work, and we’re glad she’s here.
More spotlights are coming throughout March, so stay tuned for more incredible women in the Coda community.
