Working remotely is ok, as is in-office

The ever-so-ongoing discussion on remote vs. in-office and every hybrid nuance in between has been entertaining to follow ever since the Covid pandemic.

Is running a remote company or a fully distributed one a viable option? Well, given that even before the pandemic, even if it wasn't as frequent and known as it is now, there were many companies already adopting a remote strategy successfully. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that it is.

That being said, deciding how you'd like to build your company is up to you. You can go fully distributed and be successful, or you can go fully on-prem and be successful. You can even do a hybrid (although, in my experience, it'll require some extra work to manage correctly and pitfalls to avoid).

Ultimately, it mostly depends on the team you hire, the culture you want, and ensuring everyone is aligned (preferably, this should be communicated early in the hiring process). Otherwise, you will most likely get some negative pushback.

Are there circumstances where one will have an advantage over the other? Absolutely!

• If you have rare, expensive hardware, you will benefit from having everyone at that place.
• Not enough talent in your region, then go remote and hire globally.
• If funding is low or revenue hasn't yet picked up, hire from regions where salaries are cheaper to cut costs.
• Need 24/7 support; hire globally to always have someone available in any timezone.
• You and a friend have that crazy moonshot idea. Hunker down in that garage and hustle it out.

These are a few examples, there's much more to consider, but you need to identify your weak spots and build your company accordingly to turn them into strengths and make your company resilient.

I find the fully distributed model and all its challenges to fit me and my vision for my company the best. And that's how we are now successfully building Heyweek with a wonderful team of people scattered across the globe.

Whatever you decide is best for your company, rest assured that either way will work. But as always, you'll need consistent and aligned work to make it happen and adapt your hiring and strategy accordingly.